Legend of Zelda: Imparting a Destiny
by Moonlight97
Summary: "I'm Link, and this is my story as I travel through forests, mountains, plains, dangerous dungeons, and fight impossible battles, all to fix the broken Triforce of Wisdom so I can save the kingdom of Hyrule, and the princess, Zelda, from the evil Gannon." Link's POV in the events of the first game. Rated T for some blood.
1. The Quest Begins

**Disclaimer: Nintendo owns the Legend of Zelda, and I don't work for them.**

The legend of Zelda: Imparting a Destiny

Chapter 1

The Quest Begins…

I was walking home on a dirt road from sword training, and the sun was high in the sky. The weather was clear with only a few clouds and the warm, late summer sun felt nice on my face. The kingdom of Hyrule is so beautiful! It stretches over forests, mountains, deserts, and oceans. The towns dotting the land were small, but nice to live in. The castle was an exception to the towns' typically small size; it overlooked the land with its tall towers so people could see it from so far away.

I was ten years old, and I lived on the outskirts of a town called Rauru close to castle town. I looked up to see the towers in the distance when more wind blew by. I was so distracted by the cool wind shaking the green tree leaves that I felt myself trip suddenly, and the ground was growing closer to me as I was falling, there was nothing I could do about it as I landed hard on the tough dirt road. I quickly got up and brushed the dirt off of my green tunic and checked the sheath on my left hip to make sure I didn't drop my small wooden sword I used for training, but I still had both my sword and shield, so I continued to walk.

I was almost home when I saw something past the trees rush by, weird, I didn't see what it was, but whatever that thing was it was being followed. I slowly went to see what was happening, behind the tall plants was an opening to a plain, and there I saw it; a cloaked figure was running from a group of blue pig-like monsters called moblins. The cloaked person tripped and fell to the ground, and the moblins raised their weapons to strike.

I dashed out of the plants and held onto my shield and unsheathed my sword. I let out a yell to catch their attention, it worked, and they stopped to turn to me, and raised the swords and spears once more. There were three of them, one lowered his spear and charged towards me, I quickly jumped to the left, and the moblin continued running past me.

The other two took a defense pose, the moblin closest to me held its sword over his shoulder for an overhead slice, I raised my shield and tried to push it back, but the other one closed in behind me and prepared his spear for a stab. I ducked so the one with the spear stabbed the sword-wielding moblin in front of me, and he got it stuck in his chest. While the monster fumbled with his weapon, I got out of the way and struck its arm, it let go of its weapon and fell over in pain, I was going to finish it, but the first one that charged at me was charging again, in my direction. I waited until the last second and jumped out of the way again, but this time I twirled my sword around me in a spin-attack, the charging monster fell over with a large gash in its back. The moblin with the missing arm was trying to stand up, but it was easy to finish that one, as I stabbed it hard through the back, my sword went all the way through its chest.

I struggled for a few moments trying to free my sword from the dead moblin's body, but when that didn't work, I placed my shield on my back, where it belongs, and then I turned to help the cloaked person that was still on the ground. I was surprised to see it was an old lady, she was short and she had long white hair, her face was really wrinkled, but full of life. She was staring at me with large eyes. "Are you all right?" I said, helping her to her feet. "Y-yes, th-thank you, you are so kind. They would have given me a fate worse than death, what is your name, child?"

"Link," I replied, the old woman suddenly froze, and looked at me with even bigger, pleading, eyes. "Could it be…?" she whispered, I only looked on with confusion as a wrinkled, hopeful smile spread across her face. "My name is Impa; I am the princess Zelda's handmaiden." _The_ princess Zelda?!

"Allow me to explain why the moblins were chasing me, a powerful dark lord named Gannon sought to have the Triforce which belonged to the Hyrulean Royal Family.

The Triforce, left behind by the three goddesses that created this land, before even time, they came to what was to be Hyrule. Din, the goddess of power, sculpted the earth, Nayru, goddess of wisdom made the sea and sky from chaos, and the goddess of courage, Farore created all life forms. When they were finished, they took to the heavens, leaving behind this sacred triangle, the Triforce, it was split in three pieces, two were in the castle, but Gannon sent his evil minions to steal the Triforce of Power, the monsters raided the castle, and the solders tried to protect it…

But there was nothing they could do, Gannon took it for himself, but in order to rule Hyrule, he needed the Triforce of Wisdom as well. Princess Zelda knew Gannon would be back, so she broke the Triforce of Wisdom in eight pieces and hid them all over Hyrule. She told me to go out and find a kind, heroic, person who can help to find and gather the pieces, and then fight the evil Gannon to take back the Triforce of Power, but Gannon knew what she said, he must have been spying on us, and he was so angry that he kidnapped her… Gannon then sent his minions to catch and torture me until I would tell him where the Triforce shards are.

You see, Link? When you came and defeated the moblins, I knew you were the person the princess told me to seek." …Me? Fight a giant monster and save the princess? I know I had sword training, but… "How come no one said she was kidnapped?" I asked, "We decided to keep it to ourselves because it would bring panic." She replied, "But, how can I do this? What if I fail?" I said. She looked at me solemnly, "Link, I know you're confused, and this isn't going to be easy, but we need your help, and Zelda needs your help. Gannon is too strong for you to fight him right now. First, you need to fix the Triforce of Wisdom. I don't know where the shards are, but I know someone who does. Go to Rauru town and talk to the elder there, he knows where the first one is."

I slowly walked back to my sword, still stuck in a moblin's back. I was trying to think things over as I pulled on the hilt of my weapon.

It didn't even budge.

I pulled harder, but it still wasn't moving, I pulled on it for what felt like a long time, and my hands were starting to hurt, when finally, I landed on the ground after my sword came out, I looked to the moblin and saw a part of my small wooden sword was sticking out, I was holding onto the hilt, but it didn't have a blade. I tossed the broken sword to the ground, great! Now I'm starting a journey and I don't have a sword. I guess I have to buy a new one when I get back to town…

This quest sounds really dangerous, but who else can do this? By the time Impa could find someone else, it might be too late for our kingdom… I have to try. "I'll do it." I said, hardly believing what I was saying. "Do you want me to walk you to Rauru?"

"Yes, thank you, and I'm sorry for your sword." Impa replied while glancing at the wooden hilt. And so my greatest adventure began.


	2. Finding the First Shard

Chapter 2

Finding the First Shard

When Impa and I reached the town of Rauru, the sun was setting, painting the sky orange and purple. I decided to speak with the town elder first, as it was more important than buying a new sword at the moment. "The elder lives in that house." Impa pointed to the tallest house in town, "I will wait."

I knocked on the door; the sound of my fist against the wooden door seemed to echo. An old man opened the door moments later; he was wearing a long blue robe, and had a long white beard. "Can I help you?" He asked in a deep, raspy, voice. "I'm here because I heard you knew about a shard of the Triforce."

The old man shrank back behind the door. "Did Impa send you?" He whispered. I nodded, "Come inside, quickly." I stepped in, and he rushed to close the door. "I'm sorry, Gannon's minions are everywhere and I have to make sure no one else is listening. The first Triforce piece is protected by a dragon named Aquamentus, hidden deep inside a temple filled with monsters." He said, as he ran to close and cover all the windows. The room was very dusty and there were tomes everywhere, and there was a table next to a staircase. I couldn't help but noticed there was a black case on the floor nearby that table, for some reason I was drawn to open it, but I decided not to. "Where is the temple?"

He finally slowed down, "The temple, called Eagle, is north of here. I have a map I can show you, excuse me." He went to the set of stairs going down, and a minute later he came back with his map. The elder set it on the table and I stepped closer to see where he was pointing. "Here's Rauru, and here's Eagle." The temple was set close to the sea and it looked like there was a long bridge leading to it.

I thanked him and I made my way to leave when he called me. "Wait! It's dangerous to go alone, take this." I turned around and saw he was opening the dusty, black case. He took out a beautiful sword, it looked brand new, and it looked really sharp. "This is a magical sword; I had it for many years. It can sometimes shoot beams at opponents. I think it can be of help to you." I gently took it from him, and I slid it into the sheath he gave me. "Thank you, this helps a lot."

I went back outside and saw Impa waiting for me. "Oh-ho, I see he gave you his magical sword! He must really trust you." She laughed, "Are you going?" I nodded, "Yes, but I think I will head home for tonight and set out tomorrow."

"Sounds like a good plan, I better get back to the castle and see if everyone is all right." She looked up at the castle towers in the distance. I didn't like the thought of Impa walking to the castle alone. "Oh, that can be dangerous, you are already being hunted! I should go with you." But she fixed her eyes back on me and just smiled. "No, your quest is far more important. I will see if anyone else can take me there. I'll be safe, don't worry. You go home and get some sleep, and may you have luck on your journey."

I didn't want to leave her behind, but I smiled and told her goodbye.

Before I knew it, I was following the same dirt road that led me to this quest. It only happened a few hours ago, but it felt so long. I walked by some houses, and there were a few people still outside.

I came to a house that was about the same size as a lot of the houses here and made of fine wood unlike the others that were made from bricks, and there was a wooden dummy next to the side of it. This was my house, it wasn't much, but it was home. I took a step to the entrance and went inside; the living room had a table in the center and a chair at one end of it. The rug underneath the table had a subtle shade of blue, and was big enough to cover most of the room. There was an unlit hearth where I would prepare food. The ceiling was high, and there were shelves with trinkets on them.

I removed my equipment and walked to another room that was to the side of the hearth, and I put everything leaning against my dresser. I didn't realize how tired I was until I went to bed, and soon I was fast asleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

When I woke up next morning it took me a while to remember what happened the day before. I got up and had eggs for breakfast, and then I took my equipment and left home… I knew I wouldn't return for a while.

I was walking north when I thought to go to a shop and buy supplies. On the way to the shop, Impa crossed my mind, I wonder if she has left already, and if so, did she get to the castle safely? My concern for her distracted me so I didn't even hear the shopkeeper's greeting to me as I walked into the store. I tried to pull my thoughts together and think about what I needed for this journey.

"I will buy some dried meat, some bread and a flask of water." I decided, "All right, that will be twenty-nine rupees." I handed him one red rupee, one blue, and four green.

I still couldn't believe I was leaving, or if I would ever return… But soon enough, the town was moving behind me. It was still early in the morning, with light pinks and blues above me. I took out my map to make sure I was still heading in the right direction; I was approaching a pond when I heard something call. I looked up and saw a guay coming straight towards me, but it was easily taken down with my new sword. It's going to take me longer to get to the temple with monsters in the way!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I must have been walking for an hour and a half, but it felt like five hours. Monsters have been attacking nonstop, and I was beginning to lose hope, when suddenly I found the bridge on the ocean that was on the map! I was careless and made a dash for it.

I was nearly blown away by a zora's fireball.

I took out my shield just in time when another bolt came rushing to me, but it sent me rolling back. Those bolts were too powerful! I tried to avoid the hits and run to the bridge. Zora, also known as Zola was a monster that was mainly fish, with dark blue scales and red fins on the side of their heads. They lived in rivers and were pretty territorial. I only relaxed once the wooden surface of the bridge was beneath me.

I looked up and was surprised to see the temple right in front of me. Eagle was tall and dark, with dying trees surrounding it. Just by looking at it, one could tell it wasn't a safe place, and it was really old. My heart was pounding in my ears, so I took a moment to steady my breathing and then I forced a step down the stairs and inside the dangerous box-shaped temple.


	3. Trials of the Eagle

Chapter 3

Trials of the Eagle

It was dark, and I wouldn't be able to see at all if it wasn't for the torches on the wall. Either I was growing paranoid, or I saw something move further in. At the base of the stairs was a decent size room, and it was empty save for a few blocks scattered around.

What I saw earlier came out from behind a block. It was a skeleton called stalfos, and it was wielding twin swords. I creped next to the block and came up behind it, and stabbed out, but my sword went in between its bones.

The stalfos was shocked and turned to face me, and my sword was sent flying across the room. I tried to dodge the slashing blades and flee, but I felt it clip my shoulder. I was able to run to a nearby cubic statue just in time, as it hit the stone instead of me.

I dashed for my dropped weapon, and when I got there I quickly swung it at the stalfos. It blocked with one sword and slashed sideways with the other one, but I rolled underneath the attack. As I came back up next to the monster, I kicked at its legs, and it went crashing down, then I finished it by knocking the head off.

I felt the warm blood from my right shoulder, but luckily, it was a minor cut. There was a single door, but as I got closer to it, I saw it was barred shut. What can I do now? I can't move forward… There had to be some way to unbar the door, but the only thing in this room were blocks… Blocks… Maybe there is something underneath them!

They were too heavy to lift, so I tried to push them, but none of them moved except one. I heard a click and the bars were gone. I opened the door and prepared myself for the unexpected. The next room had a narrow pathway against a wall on a ledge to the left, and the ledge went so far down that the only thing I could see were little flickers of torch light.

I took the only way I could go, past the thin road. I lightly put my foot down on it, and it was pretty steady. I threw my back against the wall and tried not to look down as I slowly edged my way, but it felt to me like it was getting thinner and harder to walk on. Several minutes passed by, and I could see a door ahead of me.

I told myself plenty of times it wouldn't be wise to rush myself, but suddenly I got distracted by the torches below me. I soon felt dizzy from glancing down. "Focus on that door." I said out loud, but as I turned to face it, I felt the pathway beneath my feet shift!

I tried to regain my balance as part of the road crumbled. I heard some grunts, and then the torch light moved and gathered around the cliff. I held my breath, I can't be discovered here! I'm too vulnerable! There was a moment of silence, and the torch light returned to their normal positions. I let out a sigh of relief, now I can focus on getting to the other side.

The next room had a staircase going down to the left side, and I saw a group of five animal-like monsters wearing tunics called goriya. I stepped in and decided to sneak quietly down the stairs, but I heard a sound and saw a blade trap approaching to me from the side. I brought up my shield in hopes of deflecting it back, but it stopped right before me and returned to the corner. I guess it didn't hit me because there wasn't one behind me.

I got out of the way before it can threaten me again, but the blade trap caught the goriya's attention. They all threw boomerangs at me, and I did my best to avoid them, but they hit hard. I thought at first that I wouldn't make it out of there alive, but luck was on my side as I got close enough to slash at one.

One down, four to go… I jumped to the side so I was behind two of the monsters, and they turned around, but before they could do anything I swung my sword in a spin attack. Another one down, but the second one survived with only a cut to the arm. I realized my error when it reached out and punched me. I staggered backward and instantly raised my shield as it tried to throw another punch. The goriya howled and tightly gripped its broken hand, and while it was distracted, I dropped the finishing blow.

The last two resumed throwing their boomerangs, but as I approached them, they tried to flee, and I didn't pursue them. I decided to take one of the boomerangs. I walked a bit and found a blue one that I put away in my pouch. I was about to go to the staircase, but then I remembered the blade trap. There were two covering the corners around the stairs, but what could I do to remove them? There was nothing else in the room, and I didn't want to get close to a blade trap. I tried throwing my new boomerang at them… But nothing happened.

I took a step back and ran forward. I saw the blade traps getting closer, but I didn't stop. I covered the last bit of ground with a jump, and slid down a few stairs, but I made it! The stairs led me into a long dark hallway. I kept watch for anything in front, or behind me, but nothing appeared. The hallway was dirty and the torches on the wall were dim.

As the long room began to turn, I heard something coming around the corner. I panicked, there wasn't anywhere to hide! Instead, I took my boomerang out and prepared to throw it. Moving torch light was followed by a white, bony skeleton, and I quickly flung my boomerang at it. The stalfos wasn't expecting an attack, and it hit him hard. It took him a while to recover, so I took the advantage and finished it.

The hallway finally opened to a familiar room, I recognized the ledge that I had to walk on a while ago, but this time I was on the ground where I saw the flickering torch light. From down here, I could see the torches were held by none other than a moblin and two stalfos. The room was too dark to see anything else, and I thought it would be too dangerous to walk in blind.

I took a moment to think what I could do, and then I remembered the torches in the hallway. I ran back and took a torch off from the wall, but I realized, while I have a torch the monsters could see me. I put the flaming stick back and tried to think of another plan…

I stood there watching the monsters patrol the room for a while and I noticed crackling light from a moblin light up a door I didn't see before. I finally came up with a plan and threw my boomerang. It spun in the air and hit a stalfos, and it dropped its torch to the ground. When the boomerang came back to me, I threw it back towards the monsters, and soon the light in the room was dimmer, but more importantly, it distracted them.

I quickly ran and took up my own torch. I rushed towards the door while trying to avoid the stalfos next to me, who was about to resume its patrol. I managed to reach the door without being seen. As I closed the door quietly behind me, a large roar startled me and made me stop in my tracks!

I knew it was Aquamentus, a green dragon with tiny wings and a single horn on its head. At once, the dragon breathed fireballs at me. I was almost hit, but I dodged and pointed my sword at it. Just like the elder said, the magical weapon shot a bright beam at the monster… But I was astounded when there was no affect to it!

I tried everything I had! My boomerang and my sword, but it had tough scales, and I still had to dodge fireballs, but I was growing tired from the running. A flaming missile came that I just couldn't avoid, and when it hit, I was lit aflame! I rolled around and the fire was easily put out, but then I regretted coming here and I seriously thought I wasn't coming out alive… I can't think like that! I have to continue fighting!

My sword no longer shot beams, so I released my boomerang instead, with no affect. I threw it back a few times, when suddenly, Aquamentus flinched. I smiled; the weakness is its horn. I had to distract it somehow…

I dodged a fireball by rolling to the side, and then I threw my boomerang near the dragon's face to distract it. I quickly ran to it and prepared my sword, but as soon as I moved near it, Aquamentus shot more missiles. I managed to dodge them and slash at the horn with my sword.

Aquamentus let out a loud roar and I backed off. I rolled under some fireballs, and I felt the heat was close to hitting me. I threw my boomerang once more, and the dragon watched the weapon as it twirled in the air, and I ran to the side of it again, attempting the same tactic as before, but it knew what I was doing and shoved me. I started to fall but I grabbed onto its swaying tail. Aquamentus jumped in the air, and I lost my grip. I flew high up, but when I looked down I saw I was nearing the head, so I grabbed at the horn, and slashed at it.

The dragon roared again and fell to the ground, defeated. I looked on with amazement; I couldn't believe I did it! Finally feeling some confidence, I continued through the next door. There was a bright light in the room and in the center was a golden shard. I approached slowly, the first Triforce shard! I might be able to defeat Gannon after all! Only seven more shards to go!


	4. An Unlikely Friend

Chapter 4

An Unlikely Friend

It was dark out when I left the Eagle. Getting out was easy, the room with the Triforce shard led me back to the surface. I was tired, cut, and bruised, and all I wanted to do was to get some sleep. I figured it was safe enough to do so. The stars were amazing that night! The music from crickets quickly lulled me to sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I woke up to the warm sun shining down on me. I stood up and took a few minutes to stretch and eat some of the food I had with me, but when I got done I felt lost and helpless. Where was the next shard? I didn't know where to go.

I could go back to Rauru and ask the elder or maybe go to a different town. I took my map out and it looked like there was another town nearby the mountains. I made my decision towards it first.

I didn't walk for very long when I came across a cave, and then my curiosity took over. It wasn't deep, and there was enough light shining in to see most of the cave. I soon smelled something cooking… I was about to turn and leave, but my instinct told me to stay and find out what was here.

I saw something hunching over in a darker corner, and a moment later I recognized it to be a moblin, and it had gathered some ingredients for a stew. I slowly took out my sword and shield, and prepared myself to be spotted.

The moblin tasted its stew and turned around, and nearly jumped out of its skin. I held my sword up to attack when it yelled. "No! Please! I don't want to know what you're planning to do but please, don't do it!" I was shocked, but I put my weapons away. "You can talk?" I asked, very confused. The moblin relaxed and let out a sigh. "Of course, don't be ridiculous."

The moblin then resumed to prepare its food. Why didn't it attack me like the others? "Would you like some of this?" He asked. "It's nothing special, but it's what I have." I didn't want to accept food from a potential enemy. "No… Thank you… What are you doing here?" He took a seat on a rock and faced me. "Hiding… and eating. What are you doing here?"

Still confused, I stayed quiet… I wasn't sure if I should tell him. He just shrugged and poured some soup in a bowl. I soon felt awkward. "Why didn't you attack me?" He shrugged again. "Why should I? It wouldn't do me much good, would it?" He chuckled, and finally I relaxed a bit too. He offered me a rock to sit on and this time I complied.

"So you found my cave and decided to check it out, huh?" I nodded. "Yeah, I became curious. Sorry if I scared you." He laughed. "You did! I thought I was going to get a blade through me! So it's my turn to be curious, who are you and where did you come from?" I thought for a moment and came to the conclusion he's harmless. "My name's Link, and I just came out of Eagle, a temple not far from your cave."

"Eagle? What were you doing there? That place is really dangerous."

"Well, that's a long story. The only problem is I can't find where to go next…" I admitted.

He held a look on his face that told me he really wished he could help… I told him everything, from beginning to end. How I began this journey, and why I was on it, to find and rescue princess Zelda. I told him my adventures in Eagle and about the Triforce shards, all the way until I came here. He listened to the entire story.

"Hmm… Maybe I can help you. Can I see your map?" I handed it to him. He looked at it for a moment. "Have anything to write with?" I gave him my feather and ink. He scribbled something on my map and gave all it back to me. He didn't have pretty handwriting, but I was able to read it. They were names with arrows pointing to particular spots, The Eagle, Moon, Manji, Snake, Lizard, Dragon, Demon, Lion, and Death. I was astounded, he knows where the shards are, and he's willing to help me?

"Death is where Gannon lives, so save that one for last. I hope this helps. I would go with you, but I have a feeling I shouldn't." The moblin said.

"How do you know where the shards are? Have you been to these temples?" I asked. He only replied with; "I travel a lot, but that's not important." His answer only confused me further, but I didn't ask anymore, Instead I quickly thanked him and left my seat. I know where I have to go now!

"Hey, Link!" He called back to me. "It's a secret to everybody!" I gave him a smile and nodded, and I was off in the field once more! The town I wanted to go to was on a mountain, and conveniently, Moon was next to that mountain, so I thought I could go to the town first.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was almost noon, and from the map it looked like I was still a bit away from town. The field around me was beautiful and green. I could see mountains and a forest ahead of me. I took a small rest on the grass, and swallowed the last of my water… I didn't see any more water around me. I should have been more careful, but surely there would be some in the forest.

It was a dense forest. There were bushes and trees everywhere, and I had to walk almost a mile just to hear water. I followed the sound of the rushing liquid, when I spotted something red past a bush. It moved slightly, and I approached the bush as quietly as possible.

I move the leaves to reveal what it was… An octorok, it was an octopus-like creature on land. It turned to look at me and spat a rock towards my face. I ducked behind the bush, but I didn't react fast enough. The rock scraped the side of my face.

It stung, but it wasn't too bad from what I could tell. The octorok didn't bother me after that, so I left it alone and snuck around it. It was part of a bigger group nearby, and they looked at peace when I was not evading their space.

I was starting to get thirsty now, but the goddesses were looking after me, and I found the clean, clear water. The surrounding area was stunningly beautiful! A stray sunbeam shone on the river, making it sparkle, and the land was green and blooming with flowers.

I drank to my heart's content, and was able to take some with me. My reflection showed quite a cut on my face from that rock, but there was hardly any blood. I soon continued on my way, and soon found myself out of the forest and closer to the village.


	5. Droplets of Light in Darkness

Chapter 5

Droplets of Light in Darkness

The sign next to the town read. "Town of Ruto" It took me a while to find the shop, and once I found it, I saw some rare items. Some bombs and a bow, complete with arrows. I wasn't an expert at archery, and the items were expensive! But they could be helpful, and maybe I could become better at archery…

A hundred rupees! I came out of the shop with way fewer rupees than when I went in, but I had some valuable weapons now. It was now a few hours past noon, and I decided not to wait and go to the next temple.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It only took me a few hours to reach Moon, and I could see most of it was underground. It looked like a small hill with a giant maw just waiting for me to enter. I went down the stairs and the room at the base looked empty… I wondered if Moon had rooms a lot like Eagle's.

As I stepped off the last stair, there was a giant monster clad in tough armor called a darknut waiting for me. It took out a shield and a long, sharp sword and the other doors in the room were locked.

It lifted its heavy sword in the air, and I quickly jumped to the side to avoid it. I see! It carries heavy weapons, but it doesn't move very fast! I struck out with my own sword, but it clanged on the clunky shield, and then I tried to hit behind the darknut, but it blocked that attack too… I have to try a different strategy.

I placed a bomb in front of my opponent and moved out of the way. It worked! The darknut was busy shielding itself from the blast, and I slashed at its back. It turned around, leading with its sword, but I was already out of harm's way.

I placed another bomb and ran to the opposite side, but the monster approached me and I had no choice but to move backwards. The bomb exploded with no damage to either of us. As it swung its sword to the side, I rolled and hit its back.

It fell to the ground with a loud clang, but the doors were still locked and this time there were no blocks to push, but I wasn't surprised when I saw a key on the darknut's belt. There remained three doors and only one key… I chose the one to the left, the key turned, and I went through.

The next room was long, and the ceiling went so far up I couldn't see the top. Here was a black pit stretching almost as long as the room was. How could I cross it? I took a moment to look around, and saw a large ladder leaning on the wall. It looked like it was long enough to reach the end of the pit…

I positioned it over the edge and it was a perfect fit. I walked on the ladder using my hands and knees. It felt like it wasn't stable and the thought of falling in the darkness wasn't helping! I made about half way when I heard a whistle of arrows shooting by! They were coming from above, and I tried to sit up and shoot back at the ceiling, but as I placed my hands on the ladder I slipped off of it! I thought I remembered falling far down…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I was lying down on the cold stone floor… but strangely, I wasn't hurt, and I saw a bright blur in front of my eyes. As my vision cleared, I saw a small girl with blond hair and a long pink dress. She was flying in the air with her wings, and she stayed surrounded with the bright light. "You're awake!" She exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" I asked. I sat up to get a better look around. "You fell from high up, but I was able to heal your injures." The fairy replied. Then it all came back to me… The arrows, the ladder… "Oh, thank you for helping. I thought that would be the last of me." I stood up and looked around the dimly lit room, and I saw another door. I breathed a sigh of relief; I'm not trapped down here!

"So, what is a person like you doing here?" She said while staring at me with burning curiosity… I opened my mouth to answer, and then realized how odd the question seemed to me. "A person like me? Do you know who I am?"

"No, but our people can tell who's good and evil. It's just our senses."

"That's why you chose to save me." The fairy nodded as I spoke. "I'm looking for a piece of the Triforce." She pointed to the only door in the room. "Go to that room, and in there take the door to the right. Once you enter that door, you'll have to fight dodongo for the shard. Dodongo dislikes smoke."

"Thanks again, you were a lot of help." I walked to the door and saw her waving farewell.

As I opened the door, I was shocked to see a lot of bats, or keese flying about the ceiling, and living blob monsters called zols on the ground. I shot sword beams at the zols, and then they split into two smaller, but similar creatures called gels. I probably shouldn't have shot all the zols, because I was so occupied at fighting the gels, that I was attacked by the keese.

As soon as the keese pushed me aside, my sword stopped shooting beams. I quickly finished off the gels, and threw my boomerang towards the ceiling. It spun rapidly in the air, hitting tons of keese! I only had to throw the weapon back twice more to hit all of them!

There was a door for every wall in this room, but I followed the fairy's advice and took the one on the right. Dodongo stood near the corner and turned to me with a look like it was waiting for me. It wasn't very big, and it was covered in a tough, yet natural armor. The dim lighting shone on the dark brown color on its body. The dodongo lowered its head so the three horns were pointing in my direction, and then it charged.

I had a chance to react and fled. The dodongo crashed into the wall that I was standing close to, causing the room to shake. The fairy's guidance came back to me then. "Dodongo dislikes smoke." …Smoke? What can I use to make smoke?

The answer came to me almost immediately. Once the room settled, and the monster recovered, it glanced back at me and prepared to charge again. I took out one of my bombs, lit it, and waited. It happened in just a few seconds, but it felt longer. I remember the horns rushing to me, and its short stubby legs pounding the floor. Dodongo raised his head and let out roar… That's when I threw the bomb! It sizzled in the air and flew straight into the dodongo's mouth.

The monster skidded to a stop in front of me… I quickly brought out my shield, and the bomb exploded! There was a moment for the smoke to clear, and I slowly lowered my shield. Dodongo's shiny armor was now black, and it lay on its belly, unable to fight.

I moved across the room and opened the door leading to the shard. I was once again astounded by a bright light emanating from the irregular golden fragment. I shifted in some pouches and found the other one, but as soon as I brought it out, it flew from my hands and towards the broken piece.

They lined up so the chink matched, and then the light became so bright, I had covered my face. Once the glow subsided, it was one piece, and now there are only six more shards to find! I grasped the now bigger shard and ran towards the stairs leading to the surface.


	6. Home

Chapter 6

Home…

The sky glowed in a million colors as the sun started to set. I took a seat on the grass next to the temple and brought out my map… Manji was in the forest south of here, and not far from Rauru.

I've only been through two dungeons, and I still had to go to six more! I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I can't let something like that discourage me! I just have to take it one step at a time. I placed my hands behind my head and took a moment to take in the beautiful scenery… A yawn escaped my lips, and a cool breeze brushed my brown hair in my face, and then I fell in a deep sleep…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I didn't fall asleep on purpose, so I was pretty surprised when I woke up several hours later. The sun was shining just above the horizon. Feeling rested, I rolled my map back up and put it away. Maybe I'll stop by my home on the way to Manji and see how things are doing. I had a lot of walking to get there, and as I glanced back up at the sky, I saw dark clouds forming overhead. I let out a frustrated sigh as thunderclap was followed by rain. I can't be expected to travel like this!

I probably should have taken shelter, but it wasn't raining really hard and I was ready to move on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was about noon and the rain poured harder. The thunder became louder, and the flashes from the lightning made me jump! I was drenched from head to toe, and the rain made it hard to see anything.

I began seeking shelter when I saw a carriage that leaned on a tree and had many spilled containers on the ground. A tall, middle-aged man with short red hair endured the terrible weather while picking the containers from the ground. "Hey, Scott!" I yelled, catching his attention. He remained the greatest chef in my hometown, Rauru, and even owned a really good restaurant.

"Hey, Link! The horses became spooked by the weather and tipped the carriage over. Luckily, I was able to calm them down, but now I have a mess to clean up!" He had to yell above the roaring of rain and thunder. I walked towards him and helped to pick up the cases.

"Thanks for your help, now we have to set the wagon straight!" I followed him to the side of the wagon and tried to push it up. I didn't think we could do it, but after a few minutes, the carriage creaked and set itself back on its wheels. It didn't take long to place the containers back on it. Everything was covered in wet mud, but the storm was settling down, leaving behind a light shower.

"I'm heading for home, do you need a ride?" He asked as he sat down with the reins. "Thanks, I was just going there myself." I replied, taking the seat next to him. Scott cracked the reins and the horses pulled us along. "So, Link, I've heard you've been out of town. Is that true?"

"Yes, something important came up." Something really important…

"You always surprise me, a kid of your age dealing with such problems! I won't pry, but I hope it works itself out."

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I'm bringing home some ingredients from another town to cook with." So simply put! I should have known he would say that. The ride home was relaxing and quiet, save for a few light conversations. The creaking of the wagon was soothing and almost put me to sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

We arrived at sundown, and several people waved as we drove by. Maybe I'll rest at home for tonight, and search for Manji in the morning. "Say, if you are leaving soon, I can let you take some of the food." Scott asked. "Oh, I couldn't do that, but I can pay for it." I replied. Scott began to laugh heartily. I waited for him to catch his breath, when finally, he spoke. "Don't be ridiculous! Consider it as a gift for helping me."

I didn't argue, but instead just nodded and thanked him. Scott stopped the wagon at his restaurant. It was a tall building made from bricks, and it was pretty old too, although it didn't show it. I helped to unload the cases from the wagon into the building, when a thought came to me.

"Scott, have you seen an old lady who went by the name of Impa? She was here a few days ago." He thought for a moment and replied. "I thought I saw you with an old lady, but I haven't seen her since." I wonder if she's all right… "Do you know if she found someone to give her a ride to the castle?" I asked. Scott shook his head. "Sorry, I don't. I can go to the castle and ask, but you might be out of town again."

"Well, if you are near the castle, please stop by and check if she made it there ok." He nodded and the rest of the work was quiet. When we were done, he brought me some of the containers. "Here, take these. They should last you a while."

"Thank you so much. It helps a lot!" I stuffed them in my pouch and we went our separate ways. I returned to my house, and everything was right where I left it. I felt the worry for Impa rise inside me again, but I tried to push them to the side and get some rest.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I got up in the morning and was ready to seek out the next shard. Manji was east of town, and I left right away. In just an hour, I was almost there when… "Hello there, young man! You're heading for Manji, correct? I have something that will help you." Said a hunched down old woman with a long nose.

"How do you know that? Who are you?" I asked, but she continued on, and shone me a bottle filled with a red liquid. "Behold the red water of life! One sip of this and your wounds will be healed." There was no way I could trust someone like that! "No thank you." I replied, and tried to get around her.

"Wait! I normally ask sixty rupees for one, but seeing your doubting expression, I will give it to you for free." She handed it to me without another word and walked away. Hmm… Red water of life? I didn't think I would use a suspicious potion, but I put it in my pouch anyway.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Manji was like a giant ashen fortress towering over the tall trees around me. Another dungeon to go through… I wonder what beast is resting in this one.


	7. The Danger of a Plant

Chapter 7

The Danger of a Plant

As I headed into Manji, I was surrounded by vines and plants. I felt like I was buried alive, and it smelled old and musty. An odd fog was rising from the floor, and the room was so covered in plant life, that I couldn't even see a door! As I walked more to the center of the room, I saw the vines covering something.

I approached it and brought out my sword to hack some of the vines off. It was revealed to be a statue of some sort… It looked like a head with huge eyes and an open mouth. What was this temple used for? Who built this statue? The mouth started to light up a bit, like it was forming some sort of ener-… "WHOA!"

I ducked just in time for it to shoot a fireball above my head, and it caused a mini explosion behind me. I got up and ran as more fireballs shot towards me. The fire burned at the plants and uncovered a door! I managed to reach it, and I quickly slammed it behind me…

There stood a door right in front of me, and this room was also covered in plants. I couldn't see anything else, so I walked forward, but something came through the wall… Through the wall? It looked like a hand, and it was floating towards me. I took out my sword, slashed at it, and it fell to the ground… But I felt something grab me from behind!

It was another hand, and it gripped tightly. I couldn't attack it! The blue hand lifted me from the floor and carried me back the way I came. What could I do? I tried to fight it, but it was useless! The monster threw me down at the entrance to Manji, and went back in… Why didn't it kill me? I had a lot of bad moments already in this quest, but that really scared me.

I took a minute to calm down and entered the temple once more. As I went in the room, more missiles from the statue shot towards me. Not this again! I ran to avoid them when I almost tripped into a staircase going down, and I decided to follow it. The stairs led me into a cavern-like room with a faint reflection of water on the walls and ceiling. As soon as I entered the room, a slab of rock slid down and covered my way out!

I don't know how long I've searched for a switch, or anything, to remove that door, but a small river splashing into a deep looking pool was the only thing in the room. Maybe that's my only way out? No, and even if it is, it would be very dangerous! The water looked really deep, and it might lead to a dead end. By then, I would have drowned! And the opposite side of it was barred tightly.

I placed a bomb against the door, but the explosion only turned it black… I was trapped! I guess I have to dive my way out after all. This whole quest is dangerous, I just have to accept that and move on. I went into the pool, and dove in.

I could barely see a thing down there, but I followed the water's path. There were a lot of turns and it continued for so long. I soon became desperate for air! I started to panic, but the tunnel just kept on going! Throughout my blurry thoughts, I heard a loud roaring ahead. I swallowed a lot of water, and things were becoming darker.

I felt myself being thrown out of the water and on the wet ground. I lay there, gasping for air, and took a moment to look around. It was a small room with a door a few steps away. I noticed a brown chest sitting next to the wall. The floor was wet from the short waterfall I fell from, and the water on the floor was venting out into the wall. I was covered in undergrowth from that tunnel, but I was really glad to be alive!

I pulled myself to my feet and walked to the treasure chest. I wasn't locked and when I opened it, I saw sixty-three rupees looking back at me. I gathered them and placed them in my bag and continued towards the next challenge. I opened the door and the first thing I saw was two darknuts, and they were ready to attack! I took out my weapons and waited for them to come to me. One immediately swung overhead with its long lance at me, but I jumped to the side and avoided it. I was almost hit by the one with a sword sneaking up behind me.

I tried a spin-attack to back them off, and it worked. I then, threw a bomb towards the one with the sword to keep it away. I quickly turned and sliced an unprotected area on the lance darknut's arm. It yelled, dropped its sword, and gripped its now wounded arm. I took the moment to finish it off, but I became too distracted with it…

I felt the end of a sword down my back, and it took me a minute to realize what just happened. I dropped to my knees… I didn't even know where the darknut went, but this couldn't be happening! I need to fight Gannon, and save the princess! …What can anyone do if I failed?

I brought out the potion the old lady gave me. It could be poison, and I shouldn't use an unknown potion but, I might die anyway! I have to take that chance. I placed the red water of life to my lips, and drank it. The substance felt warm… I waited, holding what little breath I had left.

I felt light, like I was being lifted, and then the wound slowly sealed up. It worked! The potion healed me! I sent a silent thank you to the goddesses, and stood up. The darknut was nowhere to be found, but it must have left, thinking that it has defeated his opponent!

I had to hack at some bushes to get to the next room. There was a giant manhandla sitting in the center of the chamber. The four blue claws clacked quietly, but it soon became upset as I came near it. The manhandla spun across the room, and I prepared my sword, but I couldn't get close without it attacking me.

I wasn't making any progress at all, so I need a new strategy… I brought out my bow and arrow, but it had no effect! Next, I tried bombs, and the manhandla spun around the room as the bomb sizzled… It let out a strange screech, and the bomb exploded!

The monster twirled faster and stared to shoot fireballs at me. Isn't this battle complicated enough? I tried to dodge them and set bombs around the square room at the same time, but only one exploded on the manhandla. I had five bombs left! I wonder what else I could use…

I took out my boomerang and threw it. The blue weapon flung right through the fireballs and easily hit Manhandla! The monster let out a louder screech and shriveled up. If I continue in this pace, I'll fight Gannon in no time! I went into the next door, and just as I expected, a piece of the Triforce glowed in the center.

I now have three shards of the Triforce! Only five more to go! I brought out my shard, and they connected into a bigger piece. Now off to find the Snake.


	8. The Ruins Left Behind

Chapter 8

The Ruins Left Behind.

The Snake was on an island west of where I was. I have already walked several hours, and slept a night on the road. Monsters still attacked me here and there, but it wasn't too serious. I was almost by the island when I came across a familiar face. The old lady that sold me the potion was, once again, offering me one.

"Hello again, young man! I see you returned safely, and my potion helped didn't it? Would you like another one?"

"Why are you following me?" I asked. She let out a cackled laugh. "I'm not following you! I live right around the corner." She beckoned me over, and, sure enough, there was a nice looking home a few steps away. She hobbled up to a boiling cauldron in front of her house and lifted up some of the contents in a bottle. "If you don't mind, I think I will charge sixty rupees this time."

I took a quick moment to decide… That potion did save my life; maybe the old lady wasn't so bad after all. "Umm… Sure, thank you." Luckily, I've been gathering enough money on the road to pay it. "Thank you, and if you ever need another red water of life, you know where to go now." She stirred the substance of the cauldron slowly as I walked away.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I stood in front of the ocean while looking at my map… The Snake was on a piece of land far out in the sea, but how can I reach it? It was too far out there to swim… I noticed a lot of people were walking by me, and they were talking with an excited tone to their voice. I turned to see where they were going.

There was a man collecting money from people and sending them off in rafts. What's going on here? The raft headed for the island in the distance, so I stood behind three people waiting in line. Soon I stood as the only one who hasn't gone.

"Excuse me." I said. "Where are they going?"

"To the island, of course! The ruins of Snake have been quite a tourist attraction." That answer struck me hard. The ruins of Snake?! What happened? My heart skipped a beat; is the quest over?

The heavy man scratched his stubby white beard while pondering my expression. "Are you all right, lad? You look kind of pale; is something wrong?"

"...No… How many rupees do you charge?"

"Thirty sounds fair." I reached into my wallet, but I only had twenty-three. I let out a frustrated sigh… That potion was pretty expensive. "Well…" The man said. "That's enough. You can go."

"I can? Wow! This means so much to me, thanks." I handed him the money I had left and stepped on the raft. "Think you can reach the island by yourself? Do you want a guide?" He asked, and I shook my head. He gave me an oar and wished me luck. I haven't had much experience with rafting, but it was going rather smoothly. My thoughts drifted back to what I heard… How long has the Snake been a ruin? Did Gannon destroy it, and if he did, does he have the Triforce shard? There is only one way to find out.

I tried to stay calm as the raft approached the surface of land. The gentle splish-splashing of the water was rather soothing. There were a few people walking around some huge crooked pillars with plants growing on the top of them standing out of the ground, but I couldn't see an entrance of any kind. I paddled next to some of the other rafts against the shoreline and departed on the sand. How can I even get in the temple?

I aimlessly walked by the people and the bits of the structure. I felt loss… What can I do now? I went around the back of the pillars, where there weren't a lot of the tourists, and stopped. This is it; I failed! I can't continue if I haven't collected all the shards. I stood there thinking on what to do next, when suddenly, I felt myself sinking a bit… A light creaking sound followed, but before I could react, the ground underneath my feet gave way!

I landed hard on my back, and it took me a while to recover. Stray grains of sand fell down on top of me from the fall, and there was dust flying everywhere! I took my time trying to stand up. The hole that I fell through was pretty high up, and I don't think anyone heard me. Luckily, there was a large pile of sand that broke my fall. Am I in the Snake? I might be able to continue after all!

There were two doors to choose from, and I took the one I was facing. There were three passageways and a stone tablet that said, "You may choose one passage, and only one has the key." Only one of these doors is correct? I looked for more clues, but I couldn't find any. I decided on the one to the right, and with great caution, I went in…

It was long and dark, but the room began to spread more and became lighter. It was like a hallway with a tall ceiling, and there were, what looked like two coffins standing against the wall. I was almost to the other door when I heard something… Something like moaning? I really hope it's not what it sounds like…

The lids on the coffins shifted to the side and exposed the mummy, or most commonly known as Gibdo, within. I felt fear bind me for a moment; how do you fight a dead thing? They came to me with their arms leading them. I hit the first one with my sword and the arm came right off! The gibdo fell behind the next one, but I couldn't react quickly enough. Its bandaged hand grabbed my shoulder, and it held on tightly so that I couldn't swing at it. The other one caught up to us! I had to move fast; I shoved my shield in its face and kicked the one holding me in the knee.

The gibdo that seized me fell to the floor, and I took no time to make sure it wouldn't fight again. The monster with one arm attacked me once more, but I gave another shield bash and finished it off as well. I placed my sword back in its sheath and was about to continue, but I noticed a sparkle in one of the coffins. I walked back and found a key.

I walked into the next room, and spotted a treasure chest! …Behind iron bars. I couldn't see a lot of the room, but I could tell it was a maze. I took a passage to the right and followed the curves of the wall, until two more passages, one left and the other straight ahead, with a switch showed up. The straight hallway was blocked by more iron bars, but I braved the switch and the bars were removed.

I took the now cleared hallway, and found a door, but I wanted to find the treasure first. I returned to the left passage and almost ran into some more barriers, so I returned once again to that switch. The hallway straight was blocked again, but at the end of the left passage was the chest!

I noticed another, but smaller, chest beside it, and opened it first. I stuffed the large amount of rupees from the box into my pouch and went to the locked chest. I used the key I found to open it, but only a singular item rested on the bottom of it; I took up a red bracelet decorated with sharp points… I wonder what this is doing here… Does it have a special purpose? I slipped it on my right wrist and went to open the large clunky door. I was standing face to faces with Gleeok, a giant dragon with two heads.

"All right, Gleeok! If you don't let me through, I'll have to fight!" Both of the heads took a deep breath and released its fire, but I was prepared. I quickly approached to the side of it, but one of the faces winced when the other one breathed fire on it while trying to reach me, and I wasted no time to attack

I took a step back and saw the heads were fighting with each other! I slashed at the same head as before, and it came off… And still pursued me? The head of the dragon floated about the room at a fast pace to knock me over. I used my sword, but it didn't work, so I tried arrows, bombs, even my boomerang, but in the end, I had to dodge it. I brought up my shield to block the fire but it didn't help in this fight; the missiles were too powerful! I managed to get close enough to the last head, but then I still had to dodge the flying one!

I jumped to avoid the ghost head and then I had to roll the left to dodge the flame, but I came right back up with a side slash, and finally, Gleeok was defeated! I ran to the chamber that held the shard of the Triforce and found an exit. Only four more shards!


	9. The Magic of Simplicity

Chapter 9

The Magic of Simplicity

I glanced around before going all the way up stairs to make sure no one was watching. I walked to where the rafts are, and I tried to dust the sand off my clothes to evade stares, but people slowly looked on the tall ruins with excited expressions. I stepped onto the raft and took up my oar to row back.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"How was it, lad?" The man that let me to the island said. "It was great! Thank you for letting me go. Oh, here's the money I left out on." I handed him a blue and two green rupees that I found in the temple. "What's this? I thought you didn't have enough."

"I didn't; I found this near the ruins." I didn't want to lie, but I can't explain to him how I came across it… He slowly took them from me. "Are you sure? You're not a pickpocket, are you?"

"No, sir, what I say is true, and I thought I could pay you back for giving me a discount in the first place." Well, half-truth… "All right, and I didn't mean to accuse you of stealing! I was just concerned." He accepted the money and I went off to look for the next dungeon.

I took out my map; the Lizard was on the point of a tall mountain a bit north of me.

I walked for only a half hour when I stopped for the night. Unfortunately for me, it began to rain throughout the entire night, all the way into morning. I was very tired and the only shelter I could find at the time was just underneath a large tree. A few cold drops let in, but I was tired enough to fall asleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I was shocked when I found that I slept in! I immediately returned to my search of the Lizard, and in a few more miles, I became lost. I took a wrong turn from the map and found myself in a maze of dark, dead trees. I held tightly on the map as I tried to find my way out. "I think I need to go east, but how? If I go further this way I'll only go deeper in getting lost." I said out loud to myself. I looked down and read some black lettering on the paper from the helpful moblin I've met.

Dragon is nearby? According to the map I was near a temple called Dragon, but I didn't see it. I tried to find it, but I was just walking in circles… A moan was released in the air, and it sounded close. I sped up and studied the map further… I should find the trail out if I turn right.

I looked back up…

Teeth snapped in my face! I quickly drew my sword and slashed at the transparent white ghini, or in other words, a ghost. The creature yelled loudly before vanishing. I ran to the right and didn't look back, and in a few more frustrating turns, I came out of the dark woods. That was close… I just have to find Dragon later.

I took a moment to calm myself and continued on my journey. After walking hours and miles I found myself on a steep mountain trail.

I followed the road for what felt like forever, only to notice that it lead nowhere! The dirt trail just stopped, so I made my own road, and tried to climb the almost vertical mountain. I nearly fell down several times, but I finally reached the top. The Lizard stood like a tall stalagmite in front of me. As I went closer to the entrance, I felt searing heat brush up to me.

The square chamber was hot and humid. There were two large towers made from steel on the wall in front of me, so I instantly threw a bomb towards them. The bomb exploded on both, but with no effect! That's odd… What can I do now?

It was really strong steel, but maybe it isn't as heavy as it looks. I gave it a slight push… It was as heavy as it looked, but then I noticed something strange. The bracelet I wore started to shine a bit… I pushed on the pillar again and the bracelet shined brighter, and the steel began to move!

A door was revealed behind the first one, now I had to move the other one. There was a small crevice behind this one, and as soon as I moved it, a flaming skull called a bubble crashed into me. I went for my sword, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remove it from its sheath. The bubble moved away from me, and after more tries, I managed to wield my sword again.

In the crevice was a small whistle just lying on the ground? I took it with me and went through the next room. This chamber had a very tall ceiling that looked like a passage was to the side of it. The air rushed by in an unnatural hot wind. I took a look around and saw an even weirder wall that was a cool blue and blocked by some kind of force field. Hmm… What can I do with this? I tried to push it, but nothing happened, so I placed a bomb instead, but still nothing.

I became frustrated! How do I get to that passage? I slashed my sword on the wall and, for a moment, the force field split open and freezing cold air came out, but the wall quickly sealed itself. Perhaps, the wall only lets through magical weapons? Just then, I heard some chanting behind me, and I turned to see a wizzrobe. I had to react quickly; I took out my bow and shot it. The wizzrobe bent down in pain, its long blue robe covering its hideous face.

It teleported to a different corner of the room and prepared another spell. I brought my bow up again, but it saw what I was doing and teleported once more. When I saw it, the missile was already approaching me. I jumped to the side, and the spell collided with the magical wall…

The force field vanished and cold air was released into the hot windy air. I looked over to the monster, but it looked as stunned as I was. The cold mixed with the hot and they spiraled together, giving the room lots of strong wind.

I clutched the door I came out of, and I saw the wizzrobe was struggling trying to do the same. A giant tornado was produced and swept the screaming monster away, but it teleported before harm. The loud wind deafened me, and the strong gust tried to pull me in as well. My grip on the door lessened and there was nothing I could do before I was flying towards the tornado!

I felt a scream escape my lips, but I could hear nothing beside the howling wind. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I was far up from the ground. I soon slammed on a wall and slumped to the floor…

I landed in a hallway, but where? I carefully edged my way and looked down to see the room I was just in. The tornado was slowly calming down as the cold wall started to seal itself again. I stood in the passage I wanted to get to! I let out a sigh; that could have been a lot worse.

I walked towards the other end of the hall, and noticed a door in the room with a tablet next to it. I also saw giant boulders rolling off of a cliff to the right and going down left. I safely made my way to the tablet and began to read it, but I barely read the first word when I felt something wrap around my hands and feet.

There were snakes everywhere, and I couldn't reach my weapons! They were known as ropes, and they were wrapping their bodies around me just like strong rope. More slithered in front of me, and I backed off as much as I can, but then I realized I was too close to the boulders! Another giant rock began to fall, and I had to move quickly. I rolled to the ground next to the falling boulder. The rock flew above me, taking a lot of the ropes along with it, also including the ones wrapped on me.

I instantly jumped up and took out my sword to clean up the rest of the ropes. After that, I returned to the tablet.

"Digdogger hates certain kind of sound

A tune lingers in the air

And floats in Digdogger's lair

The monster screeches because it's not up high

Digdogger, it's time to say good-bye!"

…Who's Digdogger, and what kind of tune? I had a feeling like this was really important, but I didn't fully understand it. It might make sense to me later, but I should continue to the next room. I saw a few tall statues around. I walked towards the next door when tall blob called a like like came into sight. I have to be careful; it is said that Like Likes eat shields.

I slowly moved around the monster, but I almost walked into another one! I quickly jumped back, slamming my back into one of the tall statues. I was then shoved by something behind me… The statue? The figure took up a long spear in its rock hands and thrust it towards me. I tried to dodge it but something strong pulled me in and everything went dark! I struggled until whatever it was finally spat me back out. I realized it was the like like, and I no longer had a shield!

"Hey," I yelled. "I need that! Give it back to me!" But the armos with the long spear was approaching me again. It looks like I have to fight without a shield. I waited for it to shove its spear forwards again and easily went underneath it and attacked the leg. But now the Like Likes want a piece of the action too, so while the armos was distracted, I quickly shot back with a side slash on the Like Likes and defeated one of them. I turned my attention back to the armos and easily ran behind the slow monster to get some distance. I stabbed at the legs of the armos and it fell to the ground, and now I have the Like Likes to kill. They were slow, and easy to avoid, so after a few hits they were defeated too.

I looked around the room a bit before continuing to the next door, but now I don't have a shield! I soon gave up and walked up to the large door and when I opened it I was standing in front of a large round monster with sharp spikes and a single eye. I drank the potion I bought to heal my wounds for this fight.

I took out my sword and the monster began to move towards me, ready for its fight. I timed my strike… And lashed out! The blade hit perfectly, but I might as well have hit a steel wall! The monster bowled me over, but I quickly got back to my feet. I threw my boomerang instead, but it only became angrier. I brought out my bow when a thought struck me; could this be Digdogger? If so, I have to have some kind of tune…

I continually had to dodge "Digdogger" while I came up with the solution… A tune in Digdogger's lair… Screeches because it's not up high, what does that mean? What do I have with me that carries a tune? I tried to think of the things I found… A whistle! I found a whistle! I wonder if that can do the trick.

I placed the small instrument to my lips and released its sweet sound. The monster screeched loudly and began to shrink, so that's what the poem meant! Digdogger was soon half its original size. I confidently brought my sword out again and side slashed the beast, and the monster screeched all the louder. "Digdogger, it's time to say good-bye!" I yelled, and then threw a stab towards it.

Digdogger has been defeated! I took the Triforce shard from the next room and exited the temple. Only three more to go!


	10. The Life of the Afterlife

Chapter 10

The Life of the Afterlife

I now have to go to the Dragon, which was southwest of me. I have been enjoying the journey, but I can't wait for this to be over. I guess you never get used to something like this. The nights were becoming colder too, and I hope I can complete the Triforce before winter…

Should I stop somewhere and buy a shield? Perhaps there is a village nearby; I took the map out and saw one east of the temple. I decided to go there first.

This whistle defeated Digdogger; I wonder what else it can do. Well, I'm sure it will come in handy later. I placed it to my lips to play a song, when I thought I heard something else… I stopped playing and turned to see a tornado rushing right to me!

I tried to move out of the way, but it was too late! I was lifted into the air and it felt like the sudden gust changed direction and flew away.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It wasn't very long until the gust vanished, and I stood safely on the ground… What was that? Where am I? I found myself standing in front of a temple. Dead trees littered the ground around me, and I didn't take that as a good sign… I think I've been here before. Is that Dragon? Did the whistle do this? I approached the entrance with caution; my last visit wasn't pleasant.

I got an eerie feeling when I walked into the dark room, and the few lights there were was from the two bubbles moving about the room. There was enough light to see the vires flying near the ceiling. I pointed my sword towards them and summoned a beam. It struck one of the demon-like bat creatures, but the others saw me and flew to attack. I began shooting more beams as they became closer, and then, I struck close up and the vire fell backwards into another one, which caused it to divide into two keese!

I was much occupied with attacking, and when I noticed the bubble coming right for me, I wasn't prepared. If only I had my shield! The flaming skull crashed into me, causing me to drop my sword, and like before, I couldn't wield it.

I ran from the vires, but they pursued. They were catching up to me, and I need my sword! I ran back to it; perhaps I can use it now. I rolled to the ground and successfully took up my weapon. Defeating the rest of the vires was easy.

After avoiding the bubble one last time, I was ready for the next room! Standing behind the door was a dark hallway and a pols voice; a strange creature that looked kind of like a rabbit. It was tall, and looked down, threating me. I approached with my blade, and slashed out… But if it hurt the pols voice, it didn't show it. I took a step back and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Behind the pols voice was a ghini.

The ghini flew a bit closer and smiled mischievously. The pols voice scrunched down, ready to attack me, but before it could, the ghini behind it let out a high pitch scream! Probably trying to scare me, but the pols voice jumped and cowered into a ball. I took the opportunity to attack it, and the ghini hesitated when the monster dropped down. I brought my sword up, but the ghost shrieked and flew through the nearby wall.

I just shrugged and walked to the end of the hallway. As I walked, I saw a bit more light shining in… It led me outside in a graveyard. Tomb after tomb was lined up in a neat row. The sun was beginning its rise once more, and its lonely first rays of light shone down on the passing. I slowly made my way down one of the rows, when, suddenly…

"EEEEEEEEEEEEKK!" I jumped and instantly slashed my sword at the yelling ghini. The ghost stuck out its tongue and vanished, and I felt myself falling from the surprise. I slammed into a tomb behind me, and I noticed the gravestone shifted a bit. Still in a sitting position, I looked down at the base of the rock… It was hollow… Is that a staircase?

I stood up and pushed against it until there was enough room for me to go down. I couldn't see a thing and I was starting to think that this was a bad idea. I slowly walked down the tomb… The sound of my footsteps was echoing loudly in the dark, empty chamber.

"WHO GOES?" A loud ghostly voice asked. "Uhh…" Fear struck me; I've done it now! I held very still, trying not to run quickly out; he might kill me if I make an effort to escape. Just then fire came from nowhere and lit two torches to the side of the chamber. "WHO GOES?" The voice asked again.

"L-Link… A-and I didn't mean to b-bother you, sir." A transparent form of a wrinkled man dressed in a robe with old runes printed on it appeared before me. He brushed his black hair off of his shoulder, and it was so long it touched the floor. "LINK YOU SAY? WHY ARE YOU HERE? ARE YOU HERE TO STEAL MY TREASURE?"

"No! I didn't even know you were guarding treasure!"

"LIAR!"

I panicked. "Please, trust me! I'm here to fight the monster at the end of the temple to find a Triforce shard!"

"TRIFORCE? IS THE MONSTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOHMA? …GOHMA HAS BEEN TROUBLE RECENTLY… ACTING LIKE IT OWNS THE PLACE… LINK, YOU WILL BE DOING US A FAVOR BY DEFEATING IT, SO I WILL LET YOU GO, THIS TIME!"

I let out a sigh and turned around to leave, but my shoulders tensed up again when I heard his loud voice. "WAIT! TO AID YOU IN YOUR FIGHT WITH GOHMA, I WISH TO GIVE YOU THIS…" He presented me with a shield. "THIS IS MY TREASURE I HAVE BEEN GAURDING ALL THESE YEARS, AND I CHOOSE TO TRUST YOU WITH IT." I took the sturdy shield with caution. Its bright red cross on the dark surface reflected the only light in the room, and it was much larger than my own shield I once had.

"THIS SHIELD SAVED MY LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES WHEN I WAS LIVING, AND IT WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU."

"What, you're giving this to me? It sounds important to you."

"LINK, I AM DEAD. I HAVE NO USE FOR SHIELDS ANYMORE. TO FIND GOHMA, GO BACK TO THE HALLWAY AND SEARCH FOR A HOLLOW WALL."

"Your shield will be in good care." I walked to the staircase and turned one last time. "Thank you, and don't worry, I will defeat Gohma." I offered a smile and returned to the surface. I still felt like I shouldn't take his prized procession… But maybe he's thinking I'll fail and he can take it back…

That thought scared me.

I calmly walked to where I saw the pols voice and began my search for the hidden pathway. I went up and down that hallway, pushed on the wall several times, and listened as I knocked on the stone… I couldn't hear it very well and I didn't have a lot of bombs left.

I took a step back and brought my new shield out in attempts not to hurt myself and ran forward. A loud clang echoed in the dark, narrow, aisle, but it didn't sound hollow. I strode over a few inches, but instead of using the shield, I struck the wall with my sword. I was able to move quicker with the sword as I covered a large space on the stone, and I smiled when, finally, the wall near the entrance echoed more than the others.

I lit the fuse on a bomb and placed it before the suspicious wall. I ran back quite a distance and waited. It exploded in a million pieces, causing the stone wall to collapse with it. The large cloud of dust started to settle down from the disturbance, but it left behind a light dusty fog that would probably take hours to finally rest on the dungeon floor. There, behind the wall, was a staircase descending in darkness.

I couldn't see or hear anything that was down there, but I knew Gohma was waiting for me. One foot after the other I paced down the steps, and as I neared closer to the end, I became anxious and nervous. I have fought quite a number of guardians by now, but that didn't seem to calm me down. I stepped off of the last stair; the room looked big enough to fight the monster guarding the shard, but I still couldn't make anything out in the blackened chamber.

I took caution as I slowly went forward. The only thing I could hear at all was the blood rushing in my ears until… I felt the tip of my boot kick something, causing it to roll forward giving off a light scraping sound that seemed so loud. I looked down at a golden rod with a pinkish orb set at the top of it.

I bent down to pick it up, and the orb sparkled a bit, even though there was no light. I stood up with the rod in my hands, and I couldn't help but marvel at the finely crafted gold handle…

But I became too distracted.

At the corner of my eye was another eye, and then it slowly closed again. Something large was in the room with me from the looks of that single big eye. I backed up to the staircase behind me. The eye opened once more, just staring ahead at me. It suddenly looked angry and moved slowly to the side before closing.

I brought my weapons out and kept watch as best I could. A small light appeared and shot straight for me. I jumped to the side and successfully dodged it. What is this thing? Is it Gohma? The eye opened and this time I didn't hesitate. I ran forward letting my sword lead, but the eye closed and I couldn't harm it!

Before it could release more missiles, I jumped back and ran next to the staircase. I avoided some the projectiles as two of them crashed into me and pushed me down… I landed hard on the stone floor, and felt pain all over from the continuous attacks of the journey. I slowly stood up, ignoring the pain for now and waited for the eye to open… I positioned an arrow on my bow and pulled back… I saw the light from my target open… I aimed the steel tip, and released.

It soared true! The monster closed the eye, but it was too late. The sharp point found its way right in the center, and I knew from the screech I heard that the battle was over. The loud sound from Gohma was followed by a thud as it fell forward. I waited a while before moving, but as the minutes rolled by, I decided it was safe to stumble blindly looking for the door. As I walked in the dark, I noticed a stab of pain in my leg, but I didn't have a potion, so before I can do anything about it, I have to find the shard.

I still couldn't see my hands in front of me as I felt the wall for the entrance. It felt like forever to find that door, but finally, I felt a different pattern than what the wall had. I moved my hand down and found the door handle.

I was blinded by the light from the Triforce piece. The golden light leaked out into the battlefield and I turned around to see Gohma still on the ground. It was like a giant crab or a spider with only a single eye. The blue color on it almost blended in with the rest of the room.

The Triforce shard hovered in the air on the pedestal in the room. I collected it and watched as it slowly melted in with the others until I only had one large Triforce piece. I'm almost done! Only two more!


	11. Dear Friends

Chapter 11

Dear Friends…

I was so exhausted when I came out of that dungeon. It looked to be early in the morning, but it's hard to tell when I've been in a temple for so long. My muscles ached, and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

I collapsed to the cold, dreary ground, but as I sat there, the thought came to me; this isn't a safe place to rest, but I can travel no longer. I played the whistle and the tornado came back. I sat still and allowed it to whisk me away.

I felt myself being lifted in the air again. I still couldn't see anything past my twirling vision. I relaxed as best I could and thought of home… Oh, how I wish to just go home after this is over...

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I opened my eyes when the tornado finally stopped… I was home! I sat in the middle of the road, and I was given weird stares from everyone. They turned their heads in curiosity at someone who came from the sky in a tornado; sitting on the ground before them, tired and blood-spattered.

I wish I didn't use that last potion! "Link? Link! Are you all right?" exclaimed Scott. He rushed to me and tried to help me to my feet. "I'm fine…" I responded. I forced myself to stand quickly in attempt to avert the attention, but I felt heavy and I couldn't hide the wince as pain attacked my leg.

"Hold still…" Scott said. He bent down and lifted me up. "You'll be fine; we'll bandage those cuts and I'll cook something to eat." I said nothing, instead, I closed my eyes and I knew nothing more…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Something smelled like… Beef stew… My sight was blurry, but I tried to focus on what happened and where I am now. I heard Scott's voice talking to someone, but I couldn't make a word out of it.

I slowly sat up; I was lying in a bed. It was a nice and spacious room with beautiful wooden bookshelves. It looked fine with the red brick wall behind it. My boots and equipment sat by the open door.

I threw the blankets over and stood up. I still had aches and pains, but they weren't as bad as they were. I noticed slightly red bandages were wrapped around my legs, arms, and chest. I moved to collect my belongings and stepped out the door. To my left was a dark hallway and in front of me was a descending staircase. I chose to follow the voices and the smell of food.

I was greeted by Scott as I made my way down the stairs. "Hello, it's about time you got up." He said. He walked towards me to see if I needed help reaching a table, but I was about to edge myself in a seat. "Would you like some food?" He asked.

"Thanks, that Beef stew smells good." I replied.

"Beef stew? You have a really good sense of smell." Scott chuckled before leaving to a kitchen in the back. The family lived in their main business, the restaurant. It wasn't very busy at the moment, but Scott's cooking is popular.

The establishment was clean and pretty. People would sit at finely sanded wood chairs and tables. The walls like upstairs were made from red brick. Lookalike bookshelves were lined up and several trinkets decorated the room.

I saw Scott's wife, Reika, appear before the counter. She held a plate of vegetables as she strolled gracefully to a customer. She then made her way towards the staircase leading up. "Hello, Link, how are you feeling?" She asked; stopping in front of my table.

"Much better, thank you… What time of day is it?" I asked.

"Actually, it's time for lunch. I don't think you had enough sleep." She admitted. Her freckled face showed deep concern.

"I feel fine, really." I returned. She then smiled and said nothing more as she continued going upstairs. Her brown hair was up in a tight bun, and her long, blue dress swayed gently as she climbed to the second floor.

"Here you go!" Scott called as he brought over a steaming bowl of soup and set it on the table. Wow, it looked as good as it smelled! He laughed as I took up the wooden spoon and instantly dug right in. "All right, just eat slowly… Oh, and Link, I haven't been to the castle yet. I've been too busy."

"I understand, thank you." He smiled before exclaiming. "And I have to serve a customer." He returned to the counter and was having a conversation with a guy placing his order.

The best meal I've had in weeks! After when Scott saw I still had quite the appetite, he brought me more food. Bread served with melted cheese, and finely mixed vegetables. I sat and enjoyed it, but I stopped as I thought about my quest… The princess of Hyrule is trapped by Gannon, and I'm here eating? I've been here too long.

"Hello, need anything?" asked a young boy. He looked at me for a moment before asking; "Are you Link? Dad brought you here?" Scott's his Dad?

"Are you Yoshi?"

"That's right."

"Your dad is always talking about you! Nice to meet you, I'm Link." I replied while shaking his hand. He was in his early teen years and I thought about how much he looked like his parents. Especially his mom, he had the same hair and freckles, but his dad's face. He held a smile on his expression as Scott came to talk with us.

"Hello, I see you two met." Said Scott, Yoshi nodded, but then, his smile turned to a curious look. "What happened to you? If you don't mind me asking, Dad said he saw you come from the sky."

"Oh, that…" I returned. Should I tell them? I didn't worry about what they will do, but I remember when I spoke to the elder. He was worried evil scouts would be seeking that information. "I would rather not talk about it…"

"Now, Link, I feel this is important. What would do so much harm on you?" Scott said seriously. I said nothing at first, but Scott continued to beckon me, and I didn't think he'll let me go if I didn't tell him.

"Okay, it is important, but I can't tell you where I'm going or what this is about… I just came from a place where I have been fighting monsters." Both of their eyes grew wide as they gasped in amazement.

"Wh-why?!"

"I can't tell you, but it's part of a mission that I have to continue."

"You can't! You have to rest a few more days at least!"

"…Thank you for caring about me… But someone's life is in danger."

"Who? If you think you're going back out there alone then I should come with you." Scott replied.

"Trust me, I can't tell you for you and your family's own good, and I must do this alone." The room became quiet after the minute of silence surrounded us. "…I trust you, but please, be careful."

"Thank you."

Reika came down the steps and approached us. I moved my chair back in attempts to stand up. "Wait." Said Scott, then he disappeared into the kitchen. "Are you really leaving again?" Reika asked. Her face of concern came back to her. "Yes, but don't worry. I'll take care." More light footsteps ran down the stairs behind me. A little girl, around five, rushed to Reika and hugged her. She still held her doll tightly, and she had beautiful auburn hair clipped up in cute curls. That must be Melody, their daughter. "Mommy, can I have some food, please? I'm hungry."

"All right, I'll go to the kitchen and see what I can find." Reika replied. Such a wonderful family… I can't let Gannon rule this kingdom. "Here, take these." Scott said while walking towards me. He held more food, and it was packed tightly so I can take them on the journey. "Thanks… You've done so much for me, and I don't know if I can ever pay you back." I admitted.

"You already have."

I stood up and wished them farewell. They waved solemnly as I stepped out the door. The princess of Hyrule needs me right now. I just hope I can fight such evil that guards her.

Everyone walked about their daily chores like nothing even happened, and as I clenched the whistle in my hands, I felt a strong hope rise.


	12. Something Old, Something New

Chapter 12

Something Old, Something New

I slowly walked to the edge of town, and looked at the magical instrument. Perhaps it brought me here because I was thinking of home? I wonder if I can use it to buy some potions. I removed the wallet from my belt and counted the rupees in it.

She said sixty per red water of healing, but that means I will have thirty left if I buy one… Why do they have to be so expensive? And if I buy that one, should I use it right away? I thought of the witch's hut when I warped using the whistle.

The whistle really has helped on this quest! Just think about how much I would have to travel otherwise. The tornado left me after a while and I stood in front of the witch's house. I'm really glad that worked! Her cauldron sat outside; the colored steam rose in the air above. I didn't see the old lady anywhere, so I walked up to the door and knocked… The sound of the door opening was drowned out by crickets and other bugs.

"Yes? Oh, you." Said the old lady. She motioned for me to come inside. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to buy more of your potions." I replied.

"I'm glad they work that well!" She smiled. "You want red water of life or something else? Perhaps you can try this. I haven't worked it out yet." She held up a vile of green substance. "Umm… I'm not here to taste test, sorry. I'd like to ask something first; can I buy a potion and a half?"

"…I normally don't do that, but for my favorite customer I will." I handed the rest of my money to her, and in return, she gave me the potions. I instantly uncorked the half-filled one and drank it. The warmth spread across me and the pain finally went away. I thanked her and once again had to decline her offering of tasting the mystery potion. I walked out the door, this time lacking the limp I had.

I knelt down to remove the wrap on my leg. It was still red despite the complete closing of the wound. I took the others off in confidence. I then felt ready for the next dungeon, Demon. I used the whistle and tried to imagine what it would look like… But after a few moments I found myself instead nearby the beautiful river from weeks ago… Why didn't that work?

Octorocs still lingered around the area, and the sun continued to shoot its rays down on the sparkling blue water. Maybe Demon is around here? I slowly walked with the current of the river. You would think I would know a giant building if I saw one! I found myself standing in front of the end of the water; a small pond… And still no sign of a temple… This is useless! I guess the whistle messed up? I gave it another chance and prepared to be lifted by the strong gusts, but…

It never came.

I was beginning to get angry until I noticed the pond began to bubble up… small creatures nearby leapt away from the mysterious reaction. I watched as underwater rocks were exposed to the dry air. Soon, there was almost no more water left… I was astounded when I made out a perfect looking staircase underneath! It was dark and damp inside. What is this? Could it be an entrance to Demon?

The map confirmed this… I pushed back the flickering fears in my head and descended down.

It was dark and I couldn't see anything… Water sloshed around my boots as I waded through it. I didn't know where to go. I stopped and tried to absorb what I could from this room, and it paid off. A seam gave off some light in front of me. I waded closer to it and looked in. A bubble quietly moved about the next room; its strange fire showing me where it was. I felt along the seam until I found the doorknob, but it wouldn't open.

There has to be a key somewhere! I dropped to my hands and knees and dug in the water. I soon became frustrated when I realized that I've looked for ten minutes! I sighed angrily and then, finally, I felt a tile beneath me pressed down. The click was followed by a scrapping sound to my right… What is that?

I froze, but nothing happened. I stood up and walked in the direction I heard it. I placed my hands in front of me; preparing myself to walk right into something. Before long, the same scrape echoed in the seemingly empty room and the click of the tile sounded after. I need to see what's happening!

…What can I use to create some sort of light? I leaned against the wall in attempts of finding a torch, but I believed this room to be truly empty… I remembered the rod I found in the fight with Gohma. I wonder what it can do. I shuffled for it and after taking longer than I wanted to, I grasped the familiar golden hilt. Is it merely an expensive rod?

I tried to remember what it really looked like… If this is magical, then maybe it's like the rods wizards use. I waved it in front of me, imagining I'm a magic user. Almost instantly, a beam of pink light rushed to the wall before vanishing. I knew it had some kind of power! … But it still didn't solve my problem of how dark it was.

Well, I couldn't think of anything I had that would bring blinding light… Blinding light? Like what the Triforce has? I dug in my bag and as soon as I uncovered it, a bright golden beam lit up the entire room. I shielded my eyes until I became used to the illumination.

I could now see the tile I pressed on the floor, but what was that scrapping sound? I walked over the tile, causing the click, and the scrape.

A small part of the opposite wall slid to the side and revealed a key inside. I easily ran to it, and as I held the golden key, the wall slid back in place. The key fit perfectly in the door, just as I swung it open; I replaced the cover over the Triforce.

The light from the bubbles spinning around a pillar was enough for my eyes to see. The flaming skulls continued to rush in circles like they knew no rest. I quietly strolled forward; a weird sound came from behind me, and in that spilt second, I recognized it to be a wizzrobe teleporting.

It happened so quickly, I lurched ahead on the moist ground, and closed my eyes. A magical missile flew just above my head. I told myself not to hesitate, and jumped to my feet. The wizzrobe looked upset that it missed, but it looked even more upset when I summoned a sword beam.

Its scream echoed in the dank chamber. The long robes rippled to the floor, and I heard a sharp clang of something falling from the monster's possessions. A wax candle sat in a golden handle and the wick told me it was hardly used. I turned it upright so I could light it, but everything was wet, and I didn't have anything to help with that.

I tore off a dry piece of the wizzrobe's clothes to collect the water from the candle. When I was done, I went through the monster's bags, but the only thing useful I found were some rupees. I sighed in frustration; I now have a light source and nothing to light it with!

I held the handle and stood up… As I wished for it, the candle suddenly burst in a unique red flame! I almost fell backwards from the surprise of fire appearing! I shouldn't have been so shocked though, come to think of it, that wizzrobe is a magic user. Why would it have a normal candle? Now that I can see the interior better, I continued down a hallway to the next dark room, but I was blocked by a goriya sitting in the way. He sat very still and didn't even move when I spoke to him. "Excuse me, I'm coming through… Are you all right?"

…Nothing happened, except he turned to look at me. In the quietly dark room, it was easy to catch a rumbling sound coming from the creature. If he's angry why won't he attack me? …I thought about it for a minute and then, I realized, he's not angry, he's hungry. I silently shuffled for some of my food and gently handed him a nice sirloin. He slowly took it from me, and gulped it in just a few bites, he finally stood up afterwards. "Thanks, I really needed that." And, without another word he tossed me a key and left somewhere behind me. I placed the key in my bag and continued on my way.

This room looked to be quite larger. The candle I held in my right hand burned bright. It was bright enough to see a wide area around me, and almost every corner of this chamber. I quickly jumped as I noticed something flying in my direction. The boomerang then retreated to its master. The goriya prepared its weapon for another throw, but this time I was ready. The boomerang clanged uselessly against my shield. I then put the shield away and held the candle in my left hand. I returned the attack with a sword beam, and it hit the target perfectly.

The monster flinched before moving to the side readying the weapon again. I rolled in the opposite direction and easily avoided the whistling boomerang. I then shot another beam to finish the goriya off. More of the creatures were already rushing to the action. I was able to scare a few away and even defeated two of them.

By the time they joined the fight, there were only three of them. A goriya was on either side of me with the third one coming too close to me. I swung my sword to discourage it, but I saw the monster on my right was ready to attack. I took a step back as the goriya let loose on the boomerang. It flew straight and hit its target.

Well, it wasn't the target it was aiming for.

The goriya that was opposite of the thrower became so angry! It threw its weapon back in revenge, and their focus was against each other for a time. I turned my attention to the singled out goriya who was still trying to walk closer to me. I confidently swung an overhead slice towards it, but the creature smartly blocked with its boomerang. While we were locked in our weapons, I kicked out with my foot on the monster's leg.

The goriya lost its balance and crumbled to the floor, but it quickly rolled to the side and brought itself back to its feet. I turned out to be the quicker though, and the sharp end of my sword met with the goriya's middle torso. The other two were still fighting when I was done… "Hey!" I yelled. "Are you here to attack me or are you two just going fight between yourselves and get nothing done?" They stopped and gave a nod before coming back to me.

The one on the left reacted first, but I expected that. I ducked low and cut the other's leg as the weapon flew above me. I stood back up and easily defeated the first one with a sword beam. I was going to attack the second one again, but it fell to the floor in pain…

I had to do something; I ripped off a piece of cloth from the other goriya and I wrapped the wound on the leg. The creature looked at me curiously as I proceeded to the next door. "Hey," The wounded goriya called. "What do you think you're doing? Why did you help me?"

"I couldn't just leave you in pain like that, but it doesn't look too bad. You should be able to walk after some rest."

"…But I attacked you. We're enemies…" He was quiet for a moment, and I walked closer to him to ensure he was fine. I opened my mouth to say something, but he spoke first. "Listen, because you helped; I'll tell you about the next dungeon. To find the secret entrance to Lion, you have to look in the greenery…Don't say you heard that from me."

"Thank you. I'll remember." I returned and used the key from earlier to open the door to the next challenge, and in front of me stood a familiar face. The short wings flopped to the side, and the single horn atop its head looked scuffed up… Aquamentus was angry as ever. The dragon reared up as I walked in the room. I stood dumbfounded. "Aquamentus…" I whispered. What's it doing here? I overpowered it long ago! The dragon took flight this time.

Fireballs shot everywhere as the creature went on a mad rampage! I ducked below the safety of my shield, but I could still feel the intense heat of the fire. How can I distract it this time? I need to strike the horn still… I held my shield up high and reached for the equipment I carried, I then, waved the magical rod in front of me. A beam flew in front of the dragon's flight. Aquamentus froze just in time and avoided my attack.

But I wasn't giving up.

I shot another beam and this time Aquamentus came crashing down as the magical pink beam hit it in the face. While it was stunned, I ran up and vigorously attacked the already scarred horn with my sword. The dragon stumbled and groaned as it stood up and took flight again, but it was flying slowly and it looked like it would drop any second. I tried the magical rod once more and it didn't take much for the dragon to fall.

I didn't attack it this time… I watched as Aquamentus staggered to place its feet underneath it, but it was too weak… The dragon knew it was defeated.

I approached it with my sword sheathed. It continued to give off its anger, and every now and then try to stand up. "I'm sorry it had to go this way…" I whispered, and walked to the door holding the Triforce shard. The dragon will be fine, but I was surprised at how much anger it had!

The Triforce piece hovered in the center of the room, and after I collected it, I realized how far I have come. It was almost complete now! There was only enough room for one more shape. I was approaching the end of my journey, whether I make it or not.


	13. The Roar of the Red Mane

Chapter 13

The Roar of the Red Mane

I came out of the Demon and swirling colors of red, blue, and purples were sinking down with the sun. I found a comfortable seat in the grass and brought out some of the delicious food that Scott gave me. Nice and relaxing times are hard to come by since I started the quest several months ago, and it reminded me of when the only time I would fight was in sword training… It's amazing how much a few months will change things. I ate slowly on some dried meat as I watched the sky and octorocs play.

When I was finished, I decided it best to start a fire. Finding wood was easy, and once I gathered them together, I used the red candle to start it. Smoke silently danced in the air above me, and the occasional cackle traveled a long way away. I sat closer to avoid the cold as it tried to bite me. It was dark out by now. I let the fire smolder a bit before lying down to sleep. I could use the whistle to spend the night home, but I strangely felt safer camping in the dark. Gannon's minions are everywhere, and if I go home every night, they might take notice of that… No, I will camp as many nights as I have to.

I guess the next dungeon is the Lion; that's what the goriya said, he also said to look in the greenery to find it. Such helpful information! I don't think I would've been able to find it otherwise. My thoughts quickly went back to the beginning of this mission as I soon became more tired…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I woke up sometime in the early morning. Birds and other creatures made soft sounds as I sat up. The fire was already out by the time I woke up, and smoke just slowly trailed up from the burnt pile of wood. I opened the map for the temple's location. It was south of me and near my hometown, Rauru. I shuffled for the whistle and played it. The gust took no time to appear and took off with me. I couldn't focus where I was going, but I knew I was way above the trees…

After a few moments it started to lower itself. Thank goodness, I felt so dizzy! When the white whistling gust vanished, I glanced around and recognized that I was home. I didn't what to go here; I need to go to the Lion! Why am I here? I brought the map out. The temple was now just a bit east of me, but it was still a bit of a walk.

Well, the trip was uneventful, save for a few monsters, but after a few hours, I was right where the map said I should be. Just like the goriya said, I couldn't see a temple. Where should I look first? I slashed at bushes, grass and vines until I grew tired of searching. I continued for what felt like a long time, but while I was cutting at a bush, I saw some stone that descended down. Is that it?

I had a hard time trying to cut that bush, and my arms were sore. I need a quicker way, I thought, and pressed the red candle up to it. Smoke rose up from the greenery as fire hungrily licked the leaves black. I stepped back, the distortion of the heat patterns lifted up and in my direction. As the bush leaned over and shrank in size, I snuffed the fire with my boot, and safely managed to put it all out, but even when the fire disappeared, I could still feel the warmth of it. I looked around to make sure it wasn't still going, but I didn't find anything.

I soon found out what it was though, the hot wind blew my hair back as I stood in front of the entrance to the Lion…

The whole room was so hot, I could barely take it! The steaming chamber was small and I could see the door in front of me, but as I took one step in front of me, I heard a clack coming from the side. I waited, and shortly after, a lanmola crawled in the room. This giant centipede stared at me angrily, and quickly came forward. I responded by bringing my shield closer to me, just in time for it to snap its pincers. In my right hand was my sword, swinging overhead, it hit hard, and the pincers were strong, but not strong enough.

The lanmola squealed loudly as a large gash opened by its mouth, and at first, I thought it would run, but it chose not to, Instead it became even angrier. And it wasn't a dumb creature; it knew to crawl behind me, where it can strike without worrying about the shield. I struggled trying to prevent that from happening.

I rolled away from the mad lanmola, but when I came back up, it vanished… And then I felt the bite in my leg… I tried to hide the wince and recover my balance. I looked down and saw the pincers connected to me, and it wasn't letting go.

I took up my sword and let it drop on the insect head, but it was determined. I struck it on the sharp edge several more times until it finally died, but it didn't loosen the grip.

I kicked, pulled, and struck at the head again and again, but still, nothing. The pain was intensive, and I could feel the sharp ends digging in. I sat down and used the sword to sever the head, and then, I hacked at the mandible, to finally, drop them to the floor. I sat for a few moments trying to catch my breath. Blood seeped from the open wounds on my leg, and when I fell back down while standing up; I decided to use the only potion I had.

After I watched the cuts completely heal up, I gently stood up and walked to the next challenge. This room was long and narrow, and the floor was made up from rock, which was different from the last room. I quietly strode to the other end, but nothing was to be found. I struck the wall with my sword; maybe it's hollow… Or not!

When I finally noticed the crack lining beneath me in a square, it was too late.

Followed by a heavy creaking sound, the rock I was standing on fell under the floor. I quickly dropped forward to grab hold on the platform, when I did; I caught a glimpse of lava below. I held on tightly, fearing I might go over.

The giant rock created a huge spray of lava! It was quite a sight to behold! The magnificent wave flew so high it was taller than I stood, and when it settled, the platform gently drifted with the flow. I hoisted myself back up, my tunic was smudged and dirty from the events. Everything was quiet save for the occasional gush of the magma river. I sailed calmly for rather a while until it moved continuously to a rocky shore.

I jumped off as it neared closer, just in time too! The giant rock crashed and then sank into the boiling substance. Behind me were many tunnels that looked all the same. I decided to let the goddesses lead me and I strolled to the nearest hallway. The rocky tunnel moved along like it could go on to the end of time, but after a while I could see a sudden left curve. When I got there, it led me to a giant sand pit!

I stood in front of it, watching the moldorms and leevers dip in and out in the pool of tan. A door sat on the other side, taunting me, but there looked to be a lot of these monsters, it would be quite a challenge to step past them without the risk of them attacking me, but I felt up to such a trial!

I ran off of the changing rock to sand slope and didn't slow down. Leevers presented themselves on either side of me, above their tunnels from deep under. The weird looking like like creatures spun rapidly, showing me the blades hoisted on top of them, but I kept running. A large moldorm jumped out in the air like a dolphin jumping out of the ocean. The faceless brown worm poised itself to gracefully swim in its burrow once more, but I still kept on.

I then felt uncertain as a shifting sound came closer and closer to me. My run slowed down when the sand gave beneath my feet and the light went out as I was swallowed completely. I could no longer see and the shifting sounds around and above me were muffled. When I came out of the shock from falling in there, I tried to dig myself back up, but when I pushed some sand out of my face, more replaced it. I began to panic, especially when I heard more shuffling coming for me. It was difficult to move at all, but I needed to crawl out of there. It felt like I was moving slightly, but nothing happened, and every time I felt like I was getting somewhere, more sand just kept on filling the empty places…

The shifting was becoming louder…

I couldn't breathe, and I could barely move, and whatever sand creature that was, maintained its hustle for me. I struggled, yearning to sense the open air. My right hand was stuck above my head, but the sand there was loose! The creature was close to me now… I pushed the sand away, and my hand was free! The sand slipped around me and I could almost unbind my shoulders… It was too late.

The creature ran right into me, and I was sent flying up in the air! The moldorm then went right back to the pit. The ground was so far away! My stomach turned as gravity pulled me down, and I braced myself for the landing.

The impact shot straight through me, and I rolled a bit before stopping. The air was knocked out of me, but I recovered immediately and pulled forward in a standing position. It's a good thing I fell on sand and not on rock! The leevers took advantage of my hesitation though, and I was surrounded. I let them come to me as I then pushed them back with a sharp blade and magical sword beams. I then ran from more pursuing, I was approaching the door, and without even slowing down, I opened it and quickly shut it behind me. I let out an exhausted sigh as I melted to the floor, but the tenseness came back when a large growl came from ahead in the hall.

I slowly walked to the opening of the room and once again, a familiar face greeted me, but this time I knew it wasn't the same one I found before. Gleeok had four heads, and they were arguing about something. I noticed the head on the far right held some meat on a bone in its mouth, and the others were trying to take it away for themselves. They seemed to be ignoring me, and I would have let that be if it wasn't for the door to the last shard behind the giant four-headed monster.

The head closest to the right bit on the bone and fought in a game of tug-of-war. I pointed my sword and summoned a beam to hit it in the face. It let go and the heads glared at me angrily, the head on the right swallowed the bone whole before letting the rest attack. All at once, they blew fire in my direction, but I expected so, and easily dodged. I returned the attack with one of my own, and summoned more beams. The head on the second left came off, and began its float around the room. I swooped low to avoid it, but when I came back up, I saw a wave of fire in my face.

The heat burned and I forced myself to stay calm as I successfully put them out. The flying head was coming back, I rolled to the side and came back up with my sword, but no more beams came. I improvised and ran to the dragon to slash at a lowered head. Now, there were two ghost heads, and that made things a bit harder, they wouldn't let me move toward the gleeok, but my sword wasn't the only thing that could shoot beams. I grasped on the magical rod and summoned the missiles on the monster. It howled as there were now three ghost heads and just one on the body of the gleeok.

I had to keep moving to avoid the ghosts and also look for an opening to attack. The gleeok bent low to spray with more flames, and I ran to the right and jumped over a ghost head. I reached the dragon and swung my sword overhead, and the body finally fell over, and the ghosts vanished.

I ran to the door and saw the final Triforce shard sitting in the center of the room. I held my collection towards it and the piece flew perfectly in place. The complete Triforce of Wisdom glowed brightly, reunited once more! The final challenge was now waiting for me, the evil Gannon!


	14. Frivolous Tasks

Chapter 14

Frivolous Tasks

I felt sick to my stomach thinking about the real trial ahead of me. If I die, Gannon will take the other Triforce and rule the kingdom, and will probably kill the princess too. I have to not only fight, but also successfully defeat him! I tried not to think about it in that time and instead looked up in the afternoon sky. I sent a small prayer before warping to the witch's hut.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The old lady was already standing outside, and when she saw me, she went in a rampage! She quickly darted in, out, and around her house, muttering all the while. It was like she was looking for something. "Um, excuse me?" She stopped and pointed her finger at me, "Give me a minute! You are so impatient!"

I just shrugged and said nothing, she continued with her storming rampage, but I waited for her and she gave up after a while, but that didn't calm her mood… "Can I help you somehow?" I quietly asked, but she shook her head and glared at me.

"I have nothing for you, now be gone!"

"But… I need this potion! Please, I have the money!"

"And I don't have the proper ingredients! Sorry, come back another time." She stomped to her house and sat at a desk. I turned to leave, and then, a thought struck me, instead of leaving her behind, perhaps I can convince the stubborn old woman to tell me what she needs. I turned again and walked by her side. "What ingredients do you need?"

But she was still unhappy…

"You can't get them for me, lad. Some of these are rare and I would have to inspect their condition."

"Just let me help you. I will bring them and if they're wrong, then what harm did that do?" She stayed silent, and finally nodded. She shuffled in her dusty desk and brought out a ruffled pen, and wrote a list on the paper in front of her. The witch slowly handed it to me, the paper was brown and stained, I was expecting for it to just shrivel away.

"Five slightly soggy pumpkins,

Salt,

Seven rare and beautiful beige and speckled white mushrooms found on logs,

Five white stalks of Figory, a type of herb that colors shallow zoran waters green until the plant losses its hue,"

Surprisingly, the old lady became silent again; maybe she didn't think I can do this? Pumpkins would be the easiest to find, but what about the other three? Perhaps I can find some salt in a shop? I used the whistle to bring me back home.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

After the gust dropped me off in Rauru, I strolled into the nearest shop. It was small, but the lines of shelves carried a lot of helpful supplies. "Can I help you?" The shopkeeper asked. "Maybe you can, I'm looking for salt."

"I can see if I have any, but that is a rare request." He left the wooden counter and into the small back room. I waited as he jumbled around in some bags and boxes. He lifted a large and heavy bag on each shoulder like this was normal to him. "Salt," He announced as he dropped them on the counter. "How much do you want? We actually have quite a bit back there!"

"That should be enough, how much do you want for it?" He pondered for a minute before coming to the solution. "Does eighty sound fair?" That would leave me thirty, and I didn't want to pay that much, but it was a pretty fair deal…

"Sure, and I have one more you can help me with, I'm also on the hunt for pumpkins." He shook his head, "Sorry, I sold the last one an hour ago…"

I sighed, I guess I have to find them somewhere else, but at least I found something on the list. I gave the shopkeeper the rupees and tried to lift the bags from the stand, but it fell to the floor and I almost went down with it! A hearty laugh came from the shopkeeper. "Need help?"

"No, I think I can manage, thanks though!" I said through gritted teeth as I nearly dropped it again. "Hey, I think you'll be able to find some pumpkins in Ruto!" I hoisted the salt on my shoulder as I tried to do the same with the other one. I nodded a quick thanks to the suggestion, and hobbled out the door. They were really heavy, and yet, the shopkeeper carried them like they were nothing!

I brought them to the edge of town and dropped them so I could use the whistle with the last breath I could muster. I lifted the bags again and the white gust whisked me back to the hut. Heavy luggage is a lot lighter when you're floating in air. I swirled in the gust until I felt like I was being lowered to the ground, and when I was left sitting before the witch's hut, I stood up and raised the stacks over to the house. "Just a few more steps…" I said out loud to myself.

I entered the door and let them slip from my shoulders to the floor. They fell with a loud clatter, which caught the old lady's attention. "Here's one item on your list, I just brought it here because it will slow me down otherwise."

"Good job," She exclaimed as she hugged one of the bags up to the air and carried it to a shelf near the corner of the room. She struggled for a minute trying to open the top, and when it finally ripped, she came back for the next one. "This is more than I would ever need!" She said with a slight smile on her face.

Satisfied, I left the house to warp to Ruto for the pumpkins.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The welcome sign greeted me as the gust vanished. People casually went about the structured stone road as I joined them. I was walking to see if I could find a shop, and I soon found one. It was bigger than the shop back home, and as I approached the door, comforting warmth seeped out even before I entered. A sign creaked quietly beside me that said, "Hiker's"

There were already a few people shopping when I came in. A young lady greeted me from behind the counter. "Hello, and welcome to Hiker's!" I nodded a greeting back and blended in with the shoppers. Near the back where items were so nicely organized I found the orange pumpkins sitting on the floor. I knelt down to examine them. I need them "slightly soggy" I rotated them and looked carefully at the skin. They were recently harvested, and they still had a bit of green on them too. They all were like that…

I must have been looking for a while, because the girl approached me. "Is everything all right?" She asked. "I came here for some pumpkins, but all of these are too fresh." She looked at me with confusion on her face, but it then dissipated as she knelt down beside me. Her light brown dress brushed the floor. "Do you have any older ones?" I asked. "No, those are all the pumpkins we have. I'm sorry." I don't know what to do about it now… "But we do stock up on them right here in Ruto from the farmlands." She pulled her long braided brown hair in front of her.

We both realized then that a line was forming at the counter. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, people!" She stood back up and ran to gather the payments. I stood up as well and came up closer to the line. "Do you run this by yourself?"

"Thank goodness, no. My mom runs it. She just ran out to find some more supplies for the shelves, and she needed me to work while she's gone." She spoke while handling the rupees. "I'm Eva Hiker." Her green eyes darted back and forth between me and the money. "Link," I replied. "When do you think your mom will be back?"

"She will probably come back in an hour or so. She just left."

"Well then, I will come here again if I haven't found any pumpkins."

"Good luck." Eva said with a sincere smile. I went back outside to the streets in search of farmland. I walked to the edge where the roads end, and I caught sight on a little house with my target growing in the back. Well, that was easy!

I walked up to the door and gave a knock on it, and waited patiently. A man's voice came from inside saying he'll be there in a minute, and it was followed by a high-pitched bark. He opened the door and quickly shut it behind him. "No, Captain, you cannot come outside!" I could tell he was a farmer; the sun stained his skin dark, and he had strong muscles from working in the field. He rocked an infant in his arms as he spoke to me. "Yes, what is it?"

"I'm so sorry, you look really busy, but can I take some of the pumpkins? Not for free, of course." I suddenly felt really bad as the baby woke up and began to cry, but the man only smiled politely. "All right, I'll meet you in the back." He calmly went in and the barking started up again. I strolled to the backyard, where crops were organized in rows from herbs to vegetables. But I realized I had the same problem; the pumpkins were too young…

"Sorry about that!" The farmer walked up to me. "You said you wanted some of the pumpkins? I sold some to Hiker's a few days ago."

"Yes, I looked at them, but I need older ones, and these are the same case…"

"I do have more in the house, I kept them and now they're too old to sell. I thought we could cook them, but there's plenty. How much did you want?"

"I need five, if you have that much." He went back inside and drug them out quickly. "Are these old enough?" He waited quietly as I bent low to find they were mushy in some spots. "This is perfect! Will you sell them to me?"

"I will, let's see… I sold pumpkins to the shop for ten rupees each, but since these are older, I'll cut the price in half. That would mean the total is twenty-five rupees, how about it?"

"You bet!" I brought my wallet out and gave him the rest of my money, save for a single blue rupee… "Thank so much for taking some of your time to help me." I held my hand in front of me, and he took the hand shake firmly. "Pleasure doing business with you, have a good day!" He turned and went back in the house. Another item has been found, now I just need to find the figory and the mushrooms.

Figory grows in zoran water, and I have encountered the creatures before. Where was I going? …Ah, I was seeking the Eagle when I was attacked by a zora. First, I need to give these pumpkins to the old lady. I centered myself in between the squashes and used the whistle. When the white gust came, I then became worried that the landing may crack the pumpkins, and I can't have that happening!

As I felt the wind being lowered, I stacked the orange squashes above me. The full weight of the five of them crashed onto me as we met the land… This may not have been the smartest idea, but the pumpkins were safe… I couldn't move for a few moments, and when I pushed them off of me, I tried to recover my breath.

I stood up and left them behind as I went to tell the lady of the news. "I have your pumpkins!" I retorted in the doorway. "Let me see." She replied. I lead her to the piece of ground where the orange lumps sat unevenly. She placed her hands on them, one by one, making sure I didn't screw this up. "Well done! Maybe you can be trusted after all!" She chuckled. That confirmed my suspicions, and I couldn't help but feel my face blush.


	15. Herbs and Mushrooms

Chapter 15

Herbs and Mushrooms

The old lady was already rolling the squashes inside when I made my leave. I walked behind some trees to divert attention with me warping to the Eagle. It will be getting dark soon, so I must be quick in the finding of figory. As soon as I clearly saw the familiar temple from what feels like a long time ago, I went right into my search. This should be easy; all I have to do is find a river zora, and they will probably find me first.

I ran off the bridge and followed the river line. The changing sky held early colors of sunset and it was reflected on and off the water. Between the sky and the river it was almost like the air itself reflected this light.

My shadow raced along with me until I suddenly stopped as a fireball flew just in front of me. I hid behind the safety of my shield, waiting for another missile. I braced myself for a hard hit, but when it met, it wasn't like last time. The magical shield held better and I barely moved. I pointed my blade to the zola and a beam shot it. The creature became very scared and decided to swim away. I let it, I was just looking for the territory.

I approached the waterline and waded in the shallow parts. There were a lot of weeds, but I knew not to look in them. Figory is said to leave its color in the water. The river sloshed at the top of my boots as I continued my search.

Three zoras poked their heads out of the water and glared at me evilly. All at once, they spit the fiery missiles at me, and they were too close to dodge and there wasn't enough time to use my shield… The fire spread on me, and seared my skin immediately.

I tried to stay calm and let myself fall into the water backwards. The sounds from the zoras became muffled and I felt relieved when the burn was replaced by freezing water. When I came back up with my sword in hand, I was cold, wet, and angry. Before they could attack again, I easily sliced my weapon in front of me to hit all three of them. Two were unable to fight and the third became too scared to. Again, I still let them leave, but this time, I yelled as they swam off.

"That is it! This is my territory now! And next time someone's making you angry, give a warning! All right?" I'm not sure if they heard me or not, but I didn't care. What I did notice when they left was a light green tint in the water around me… I tried to locate the source of the color, but what I found were only useless plants… I need to look harder; I'm still unaware on what figory looks like. I knelt down and inspected the weeds further. Water was now soaking my tunic, and the sky was showing clear signs of sundown.

I was freezing in that river, but I kept looking… Some short weeds, some stalks, some grass… I'm seeking a stalk, right? A short green stem climbed up, but it was still deep enough in the water. It was thick and small leaves rested in either sides of it. I plucked it curiously, and ran it through my fingers. The color began to rub off, leaving it sort of green, and my hands were stained in oil like substance.

This is it, I'm sure of it! I felt along the plants once more, and came across plenty of figory, but I need white stalks. In that bunch, I found one pure white figory among the green kind. The fine smooth white fibers didn't look plantlike, but besides the color, it was the same.

The task was much harder than I thought it was going to be. The sun finally called it a day as it left me behind… I should have left then and continued the next morning, but I was stubborn. Surprisingly, no more zoras threatened me, and with less distraction, I was able to find the fifth stalk.

I was extremely glad to have them all, but I didn't celebrate. I was so cold, and when I climbed out of the river, I felt like I was going to faint… But I didn't allow myself to sit and rest; instead I collected wood for a fire. And once fire painted the wood, I still walked around it in a circle. I was too scared to sit before it, and I would feel better quicker if I was up.

Once I became warmer, I sat on the ground before the fire. I let my thoughts take me away into the red blaze close to me. I imagined what the fight with the beast, Gannon would be like, and the princess… Will everything go back the way it was before?

I would find out soon enough, but for now, I needed to help the old lady with those ingredients.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The sun felt warm again, despite the cold night. It was easy for me to wake up without the chill in the air. There were only a few embers burning from what little wood was left, and I let them be as I thought what to do next. "Seven rare and beautiful beige and speckled white mushrooms found on logs." Some woods sat right beside me. If I couldn't find them there, I didn't think I'll be able to.

After I ate some food, I stood up and strolled under the towering trees. Light seeped out wherever it could between the turning leaves, and this left it looking more majestic. The trees did look more and more like autumn by the day, but this no longer frightened me. I felt this quest was almost done, and even if it wasn't, I could use the whistle to take me to dungeons, rather than walk there.

Every now and then, a stick would snap beneath my boots, and would seem to echo around the world. I came up to some logs in one direction, as there were many logs, and studied the brown bark. The witch said they were rare, and so I was shocked when I found three of them right away! The color fit beautifully with the scene and it had a short, skinny stump that spread out widely on the top. There were more white speckles in the center and they slowly vanished near the edges.

In the blink of an eye, a form rushed past me… Something dark, and with it, a mushroom I was holding. I turned around to see a guay sitting on a branch…

With my mushroom in its beak!

"Hey, give that back! Why would you want a fungus anyway?" But the bird only stared at me with what looked like a smirk on its face. I summoned a sword beam, but the energy wave hit the tree where the guay used to be. I spotted it flying away from me with its prize, and so began the chase…

I ran just behind it, shooting beams every now and then. But I had to run pretty fast to keep up, and my aiming became bad as my legs grew tired of the chase. More logs were ahead of us, and I had to summon the strength to leap over them. I successfully got over one, but there were more, and as I leaped again, I felt the bark meet my leg and I tumbled over. Sticks poked at me on the cold ground, and my heart was racing faster than I was, but I still forced myself to stand.

I saw the guay ahead of me… And I continued in a dead sprint… I leaped over logs and tried to keep up, until the bird flew in a nest up in some leaves. "…Give…That…Back…!" I said in between gasps of breath. I bent low and tried to recover. The guay cawed quietly, and dropped the mushroom in its empty nest. I hobbled over and sat on a nearby log, and when I calmed down I was prepared to destroy that guay! But before I even stood back up, I noticed the log I was sitting on had mushrooms… The mushrooms I was looking for, and more than I even need!

"You're lucky, guay. Now I have no reason to take that from you." I said as I plucked the fungus from the logs. I stuffed them in a bag next to the figory and took out the whistle. "No hard feelings, right?" I asked the bird. The guay cawed loudly as if it understood me, and I finally warped back to the hut.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Oh my, lad, you look terrible!" Said the old lady, She had brought out the ingredients and was preparing the cauldron right outside her house for the brew. "It was a much harder task than I thought it was going to be, but I've found them!" I handed her the two bags, and she smiled widely as she opened them. "These are in perfect condition! You would make an expert potion brewer, want to be my apprentice?"

"Umm… I just would like a red potion, sorry."

"That's a shame, but if you're ever interested…"

I nodded, and waited patiently as she began to stir and throw in the salt first. I found a seat in the grass and leaned back comfortably.

I guess I fell asleep, because I heard the lady's voice and opened my eyes to see her looking down at me. "The potion is ready, and I would like to know what you paid for the items." I stood up and stretched. "What I paid for?" I asked and she looked at me like I was not bright… "You know! Rupees! I would like to pay you back." Oh, well of course, now that makes sense! I guess I was still half asleep… "Don't worry about that." I said in a poor argument. She frowned, "Did you pay anything for them? Because, if you did, you probably don't have much left for the potions."

My senses came back to me. "You're right, I don't…" She still looked angry, but she walked to her cauldron and filled two bottles to the top. She then came back to me, and without another word, shoved the bottles in my arms. "Take them, you've earned it!" She grumbled a bit and I thought I made out the word, 'Thanks' …What a stubborn old woman, but I still couldn't help but smile as she made her way back to the cauldron.

I placed the potions in my bag and retrieved the whistle…


	16. A Trail Leading to Death

Chapter 16

A Trail Leading to Death

The tornado left me again in a familiar place, Ruto. But I wanted to go to Death, where Gannon lives! Does this whistle only take me to places I've been before? The map said the dungeon is on Death Mountain, so I have a lot of climbing to do…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Just a few more steps… I only had to reach the ledge… Rocks shifted under my feet, and a few times I thought I would fall. But, luckily, I grabbed hold on the edge and I was able to pull myself up. I looked back on the horizon and saw that I was making a lot of progress. The small town of Ruto was barely visible by now!

I had only been on this trail for a few hours, and most of it wasn't all that bad, but it was still a mountain… I could see the way up better after that, and I was thankful; maybe I can catch my breath in time for the next ascent. I followed the road quietly. Walking up there made me feel so small! The tips on the mountain towered over me, and the sky looked much bigger than the trees, forests, and lakes.

I froze when I heard a clip-clop behind me… A horse on Death Mountain? No, it can't be a horse… I then felt something slam my leg and I tumbled forward! I tried to grasp the ground, but that didn't save me from slipping over the edge. The rocky surface was hard to grab onto when falling, but my hands found a small ledge. I looked up and saw the suspect, a lynel, standing proudly by its sword and shield. The lynel are a mix of lion, man, and horse, they are centaurs, but with lion heads. Thinking its work complete, the creature strolled out of sight…

It would be a steep climb and the last trail wasn't too far down, can I slide down there? I decided to take my chances upwards. With one hand, I reached for a rock buried in the wall, and tried pulling my body's weight up to it.

But the rock wasn't that strong…

I took it with me as we both slide down the near vertical wall. I tried to grab a bigger rock in the cliff face, but I couldn't keep hold on it, and fell the last few feet.

Dust swallowed me when I met the hard ground. I was looking up the cliff I fell… I don't think I would have lived if it wasn't for that big boulder I tried to hold onto. I brought up my right hand where I was still holding the rock that fell with me. I slowly got in a sitting position, and tried to focus on if I was all right to continue. I felt pain in several places, but nothing was broken.

I slowly stood and took a step forward. I was fine, and I tossed the rock further down before walking up the trail again. At least now I know what's there to attack me. As the trail took me further, I crept around the corner of a turn. The lynel was patrolling around the cliff face…

I should attack it now so it doesn't hurt me first as I continue on the road… I tried to summon a beam, but no more came. So, I took out the rod instead, and the beam flew to the target… The creature was shocked, but if it hurt, he didn't show it.

His already intimidating face narrowed into a frown before growling at me. I didn't want that to happen… Now I have no choice, but to fight the lion, man, horse mix. He thrust his sword to me, and in a split second, I knew he was summoning a sword beam of his own, so I managed to jump out of the way just in time. Without hesitation, I ran closer to the creature and slashed it below the arm. He flinched and tried again to strike, but this time it was countered with a large shield. The lynel held the sword above his head, and I jumped left to avoid it. The heavy weapon thudded loudly in the dirt, and while I was low, I cut the bulky front leg of the monster.

I stood up behind him and my sword would hit the finishing mark, but the lynel was not a dumb creature, and spun around to meet my weapon with his own. Our blades were locked together, so I took the advantage and kicked hard with my boot, but the lynel acted unaffected… With a mighty shove, the creature pushed me on the ground, and as quick as I could, I rolled to my right. Again the heavy blade thudded loudly, but I felt a cut open on my arm… I couldn't let that slow me down! When I jumped back on my feet, I saw the brake in his defense and stabbed forward.

The sword went in the side of the creature, and I pulled the sword back out to see blood covering half of my blade. He couldn't hold his weight any longer and began to fall, but he used the last of his strength to roar loudly. It echoed across the entire mountain, and as I turned to leave, an eerie feeling came over me…

I saw more and more of the lynels showing themselves, and they were unsheathing their weapons… There were many of them, too many! I darted forward and didn't stop. The creatures chose to pursue me, and began shooting their sword beams. I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun them, so I dropped a bomb behind me to slow them down. I didn't stop to watch the explosion, but I heard it, and the sound of the running hooves froze for a while.

It was hard to find my map in mid sprint, but when I finally read it, it said Death wasn't too far up. I ran up the trail and followed as it turned. Now, I looked down the cliff and saw the lynels were continuing up as well. I dropped another bomb down in front of them, and held the map before me. It should be around here somewhere… The road led me up a bit further to flat land where two huge chunks of the mountain stood. "Death" was marked on the map as one of these rocks!

I ran to it and around it, but I couldn't see a door! I didn't have time to find the solution! I tried to push on the rock, and when that didn't work, I shoved the sword into it to hear a hollow clang! I backed off and tossed a bomb to the ground… The hooves were getting louder… And I thought I saw them come over the edge when the bomb blasted open the wall. I quickly ran into the room without looking first. There were blocks, and some doors, but I didn't see anything else. I ran and jumped behind a block and waited quietly…

I don't think the lynels ever came in, but I still waited until I heard the thundering hooves turn in the other direction. I couldn't believe I made it safely in the home of Gannon! I was about to stand, but the sound of a door opening caused me to wait further. I heard two voices of what sounded like moblin talking… I couldn't catch the beginning of the conversation, but they were talking about the rumbling they heard earlier. "I wonder what all that noise was…" One moblin stated. "Kind of sounded like horses…"

"You idiot! Horses don't live on Death Mountain!" The other one yelled.

"I didn't say they were horses! I just said it sounded like them. Well, it's gone now; I guess we should return to our posts."

"I guess you're right for once. Gannon well not be happy if he found we left." I heard the door open again and the voices were gone. Gannon set patrols in here? I need to be more careful from now on… I walked up to the door and opened it slightly… I slowly entered into a hallway… It was quiet here, but I didn't see any monsters. I crept slowly, and I saw a left passage or I could stay straight.

I crouched low and checked the turn; a stalfos stood with its back towards me. I ducked back as the skeleton began to turn curiously. I gave it a few moments before looking to see it turned again. While still crouching, I moved quickly to the other side.

The next room had stacked crates and supplies in the corners, and two doors in front of me. I looked at some of the containers, but none of it was interesting. Except, I did find some arrows and bombs mixed in one of the crates. I stuffed them in my bag and as I came forward, I was shocked by the same two moblins coming out of a third door at the other side of the room. Luckily though, they were caught up in another conversation to not notice me, so I quickly hid behind the crates.

"So, what do you think Gannon will do with the princess when we find the other Triforce?"

"I don't know, but I hope he lets us eat her! She looks delicious!" The crate I was standing behind had a small hole where I could see the moblins talking with each other. They began to laugh and drool before one of them brought the talk up again. "But what if we can't find the shards of the Triforce?"

"What are you talking about? Of course we'll find it!"

"I'm not so sure… All the reports of that kid running around the kingdom…" They know!? How!? "And if he has collected them, wouldn't that counter with Gannon's Triforce of Power?" The listening moblin burst in laughter once more. "A kid? Fighting Gannon? Now I would love to see that! There's no way he will win even with the other Triforce! Remember, only the silver arrows can defeat master Gannon!"

Only silver arrows can kill him? I had never heard of them before… "Oh, yeah." The moblin replied. "Have we ever found those?"

"As a matter of fact, we did. And I hid them quite well too. I even built a wall over the door leading to them!" He stood proudly and puffed his chest up. "Gannon is pleased with us finding them! Now nothing can defeat him!"

If I never listened into this conversation, I wouldn't have even stood a chance to the prince of darkness. "But where are the arrows? Are there guards?" There was a long moment of silence with the two of them staring at each other with wide eyes… "Come to think of it, there are no guards over there…"

"Do you think we can go look?"

"No, we're on duty!"

"But, I don't think Gannon will even notice we're gone for a peek." After another moment of silence, the moblin opened the door behind him and beckoned the other to follow. I crept from the crates and also followed, but from a distance.


	17. The Fate of Hyrule

Chapter 17

The Fate of Hyrule

Ahead the door was monsters of all sorts trying out weapons and armor, and to the left was a large statue that stretched across the room. The statue of the three sacred triangles stood tall above everything else. "Power, Courage, Wisdom. The rule of the land" Was written on the pedestal, but I couldn't marvel at it too long and ran behind it. The moblins walked pass a goriya standing guard near the entrance, but the creature stopped them.

"Who came with you? I thought I saw someone else…" I froze, and prayed they wouldn't find me! The moblin looked behind his shoulder and shrugged before replying. "Oh, it's just me and this lug of smarts!" He laughed and elbowed the other moblin hard on the arm. "But sometimes this place is reported to be haunted." He winked as the goriya's face began to turn pale. The duo then left him to ponder those thoughts and walked across the red carpet to another door at the end.

I followed from behind the giant Triforce replica and watched them go through to the room ahead. I looked around the corner and waited for a good time to dash for the door. A stalfos was trying on a helmet when a moblin pulled it over the undead eye sockets, and some of them must have heard the conversation with the goriya earlier, because they stared at the frozen, still pale creature.

"…What? Why are you standing there?" It finally asked.

"Do you think there are ghosts in here?" another goriya asked, but a stalfos interrupted. "Why do you ask that? You're not scared of me, now are you?" These sudden silences lead into an argument when the second goriya didn't answer, and the raised voices became mixed with monstrous growls.

That was my chance! I ran unnoticed to the door and I was relieved when I could still see the moblin duo ahead of me. Grey brick lined every wall, ceiling, and floor, and acted as a long way straight. The only items in there were the occasional torch on the wall. The moblin duo was already walking past another moblin scout who nodded as they walked by. He had his back turned to me and his bulky blue arms crossed in front of his chest. I crept quietly up to him and slowly unsheathed my blade… I had to do this without him making a sound… Then, I stood up and brought my free hand over his mouth before slicing his neck open. I left the body there as I again, crept towards the duo.

There were so many places to turn, so I was glad to have been "escorted" there. I followed them through lefts, forwards, rights, and backs until I couldn't tell the directions apart any more. But finally, the one leading stopped and stood before an empty brick wall by a narrow corner. The other moblin became confused and darted his eyes all over the corners.

"Here we are!" The leading moblin stated.

"But I don't see anything!" Said the one darting everywhere, the confident moblin sighed and placed his huge hands on his confused friend's shoulders. Then, he pushed roughly to the wall before him. "Right there, stupid! Remember? I built a wall over it?"

"Oh…" The monster leaned forward to closely inspect the perfectly lined bricks. I sat quietly behind the opposite wall and waited for anything else important, but they just stood and marveled at their genius… I unsheathed my weapon and thought about fighting them, but a passing stalfos on the other side spoke to the duo first. "What are you two doing over here? This isn't your post."

"I was just showing this guy here where the secret weapon was." The moblin replied.

"And you will risk your post to see a wall?"

"No one will come here anyway. Don't deny it has been boring here."

"That is not an excuse! Do you want Gannon to know how untrustworthy you are?" the stalfos yelled. The moblins only replied with a terrified look on their pig like faces. They quietly followed the skeleton back out of view, and I waited a while longer. But the voices completely vanished, and left me behind next to the only weapon that could kill their master.

I approached the brick the moblins were standing by and struck it with my sword to make sure I was in the right place. The hollowed clang brought a smile to my face, and I reached into my bag to retrieve a bomb… I knew the sound might bring unwanted attention, but it was my only way in. I lit the fuse and stood back… I winced as the bomb exploded no quieter than usual, but now the way was clear, and I wasted no time to rush right in the miniature chamber.

A bow was lifted up on the wall before me and the arrows for it sat on a shelf nearby. I took it off the wall and looked at it; the bow was finely decorated with sparking silver as well as the tips of the arrows. The beautiful blue was dust free like the monsters have only placed it there recently.

"What was that loud explosion? Hey, who's in here?" A stalfos entered the room only to see the tip of my blade already in its thick skull. Two more of them stood right out of the chamber, and they were shocked when the stalfos came crashing down on them. "You can't take that! That's ours!" They shouted to me. The undead regained their balance and threatened me with a mace and a sword.

There wasn't a lot of room for such a big fight, so the stalfos said he was going to run for help and left. That was the last thing I needed to happen! I block the sword with my shield and went for a low sweep. The legs broke and he fell to the ground. It was easy to finish him when he was down, and then I had to find a way out of the maze.

I didn't remember where the door to the armory was, but I had to find some way out quickly. "There he is! Get him, he has the bow!" There was now a huge amount of monsters chasing me, and I had no idea where I was going… I didn't have time to plan where I was going, so I just hoped for the best and made my own path. The monsters continued to yell at me, and sometimes, I was worried they might block me off. But I kept running, and hoped for the best. I ran to a part of the maze with three choices, and ran straight, but I had to come to a sudden stop when more monsters were already there. Thank the goddesses I had that third choice! After a while, I was becoming afraid of not finding my way out…

But, luck was again on my side. As I rounded a bend, I saw the door and knew it was the armory by the still dead body of the moblin lying on the floor from earlier. Where could I go or how could I lose these attackers? The armory was empty when I quickly opened the door and ran across the long carpet on the floor. I thought about jumping behind those crates again when I saw them in the storage room, but with so many creatures chasing me, I needed a better plan…

Past the storage room where I listened to the two moblins talk was the familiar hallway that I crept past a stalfos earlier. I wasn't about to go outside with this army and the probabilities of the lynel army just waiting for me. Instead I turned to where the same stalfos still stood looking ahead the passage. "Excuse me, I'm coming through!" He must have been so confused when I pushed him aside and darted down the hallway.

My only choice was a descending set of stairs, and after nearly tumbling down it, my breath was taken away by the decorated, high ceiling chamber. There were statues of tall standing guards in full spiked armor flanking either side of a wide red carpet, and the walls had beautiful, long blue tapestries on the creation of Hyrule. Three goddesses looked below them at the golden land surrounding the glowing Triforce. By the nearest tapestry sat a low set of shelves… This may be my only chance of hiding.

By the time the monsters reached the bottom of the stairs, I was already up the shelf and behind the tapestry. "Where did he go?"

"That way!"

"What are you waiting for? Get him!"

I heard the stamping feet and the clanging weapons speed ahead… leaving me behind… I was so exhausted, and took my time climbing down the shelf. I hoped they wouldn't come back! I walked slowly to the door the army left through, and turned around trying to decide where I should go. When I noticed a shadow coming down the stairs!

I ran back to the shelf, but it was too late! Seven eyes flew into the room with their wings and frowned when they saw me. They immediately grouped around an eighth bigger eye, and spun closer to me. I unsheathed my sword and waited for the monster to attack. One of the eyes flew at me in an incredible fast pace! I was surprised by the speed and blocked with my shield, but the weird eye pushed me to the floor. When that one left, another one took its place and dashed for me, but this time, I knew what was coming.

Even though I was still on the ground, I shot my sword straight up and the eye fell to the floor. I stood back up. There was now a small opening in their spinning, but they still flew too fast. I ran up to them, but I had to jump right back as they came to me all at once. I slashed my weapon and another one fell to the floor. They had blinding speed, but their defense was weak, and after learning their patterns, I was defeating them one by one.

Soon, eyes were dropped everywhere on the floor, but it wasn't slowing the rest down. I jumped, slashed, dodged, and shielded until the bigger eye flew alone. I approached, but it surprised me and flew to my face, and we fell to the floor, but it was already dead as it also flew into my sword.

I shoved it off and stood up. The beautiful chamber was now littered with bodies… I turned to the door in front of me once more; I was really surprised all that fighting didn't alert any more troops. I opened the door and saw a split in the carpet where it ran in either directions, but my attention was caught on the door in front of me… Large decorated double doors… Something about this made me feel sick.

Is this it? Is this the final challenge? I moved slowly to the door, and grasped the handle. It was really heavy and a loud creaking sound followed… I looked in, but it was pitch black in there.

I stepped in and waited… A golden light seeped out of my bag, where the Triforce was. I uncovered it and held it up. The light became stronger, and shown the entire room in its golden shine. I heard loud screaming, and the light subsided, but the room was now lit, and I could see the prince of darkness himself!

He gasped as if the light hurt him, but he stood confidently as he recovered. I had to look up to see his face, as he was taller than me. He wore heavy, dark armor, which let his bright blue skin shine against it. He looked down back at me and his burly snout wrinkled in an amused smirk.

"My guards have told me a kid has found a way in here, but I'm surprised he was foolish enough to walk in my own chamber!" His voice was deep, and it reached the very corners of the room.

I held my ground. "Where is the princess?" He masked his shock well with a frown. "The princess? Is she the reason you're here? Not that it matters, she won't be of your concern much longer. I know you were running around the kingdom gathering the shards she broke, and now that you're here, I don't need to look for them any longer. Give the Triforce to me, and I might consider letting you live."

"You'll have to kill me first!" He laughed long and hard before replying. "A young boy threatening the powerful Gannon! Now isn't that loyal? You would give your life to try and rescue your soon to be dead princess? Don't you see? I have the Triforce of Power, and even if you hold the Triforce of Wisdom, Power cannot be overthrown! When I rule this kingdom, everyone will bow down to me, and if they don't, I'll make their lives miserable! I could even use the castle as my own, and watch my scouts run the land! I was destined to rule when I fought the castle and acquired the Triforce, if your princess can't protect her own kingdom, then she doesn't deserve to rule. Think once again, boy, you don't know who you're threatening."

I felt like I was in a bad dream, and I wanted nothing more than to just run away and wake up in my own bed. But I knew I stood in reality, and I had to do the best I could to stop Gannon from ruling. "My name is Link, and I came here because what you're doing is wrong. And if you insist on continuing, then I have no choice but to stop you."

He responded with a low growl. "You brought this upon yourself. But it wouldn't be a challenge, and I will enjoy this fight. I will take the Triforce from your dead body, so know now in your ignorance that you wanted it to end like this!"

He then vanished, and I finally noticed how large the room was. I looked down and saw a mighty skull made from the floor's white tiles. Gannon appeared to me again and threw a powerful red missile. I only had enough time to hold my shield up, but as it hit, I was sent flying to the wall!

The impact shook through me and I fell to the floor. Those missiles were powerful! Even the magical shield couldn't block them! I stood back up, and Gannon has vanished again… Only to appear a moment later with another red missile that he threw to me. I timed my reaction perfectly and jumped out of the way.

I waited anxiously for him to show up again, and when he did, I ran with my sword, prepared to strike! But I just saw a close up of another missile… I flew for a few feet and slid on the floor for a while longer. "Fight me, you coward! Stop warping and fight a real battle!" I felt frustrated. I haven't done anything yet…

…And already he was defeating me.

When he became visible again, I was ready. I ran forward with sword in hand like before, but as the missile grew near, I rolled underneath it and slashed at Gannon's blue skin! He howled, but still vanished yet again! He teleported behind me and shown another bolt. I tried to drop to the ground, but it was too late, and I was sent flying a third time!

Aches, cuts, and burns covered my skin and I brought out a potion to heal it. I didn't want to use it, because I felt like I might have needed it for later. But I had one more after this; I just hoped it would be enough.

The wounds began to heal as I stood and waited for Gannon… He shown up by the wall in front of me and I ran, ducked, and slashed! …At empty air. "You cannot defeat the powerful Gannon!" He teased.

I waited patiently, and this time, he appeared right in front of me! He tried to shove the missile to me, but I jumped to the side before I attacked. "AAARGH!" He yelled before disappearing.

When he showed up again, I ran to him, easily dodged the missile, and I poised my weapon to strike! Only to see he had a second magical projectile! It slammed into me, and I landed all the way to the opposite side of the room. I was still on the ground when he threw the burning red missile, and instead of standing, I rolled to the side and just barely avoided it. I rose back on my feet and dashed for him once more!

I turned to my right and the projectile flew behind me. Gannon was about to vanish, but not before I stabbed out! His howl told me my sword has found its target. I looked to every corner of the chamber and saw him appear. My wounds and sores screamed at me to stop running, but I kept on. But I had to skid to a sudden halt when Gannon delayed throwing his weapon until the last second, and by then it was too late.

I landed on the floor hard, and I was again covered in blisters and injuries. I could barely stand, so I had no choice but to use the last of my potion… My last potion… Could I really do this? Maybe what Gannon said is true…

I went to pull the cork, but before I could, another one of his arcane bolts came to meet me, and I was in the air again! I heard Gannon's laughter as my potion rolled in the other direction! I needed that potion! I winced as I tried to stand up.

I stumbled forward to the glass bottle that was now sleeping still. I knew Gannon appeared close by, and I saw the missile that could possibly end my life. I went as fast as I could, but I knew it wasn't fast enough. I dived to the floor and reached for the restoring drink. Luckily, the missile was too high to hit me. I could almost reach it, but Gannon laughed harder when he shown up next to me and kicked the potion further out of my grasp!

It rolled until it met with the nearby wall. I stood back up and ran as fast as I could to it. I bent down to pick it up, and I was able to drink it this time. I felt the magical warmth spread across my entire body, but as I brought my attention back to Gannon, I saw an arcane bolt right in front of me. And I was thrown forcefully to the wall. I regained my balance and dashed forward even before he came back. And to my astonishment, he showed up right in front of me. I swung the blade from the side to hear his responding howl, and then I realized how tired and injured he looked.

Only the silver arrows could kill him, and I felt like that was the time to use them. I waited for a moment and let him shoot his weapon to me. He looked really angry, and despite how wounded he was, I could tell he still placed all of his strength into using magic.

I easily dodged the attack by dropping low and prepared the silver bow with the proper arrows and waited. When Gannon showed up, his tight frown eased into one of terror as he recognized the weapon. "Silver-?" He remarked and hesitated. I let the arrow fly and even Gannon couldn't warp fast enough to avoid the speed of an arrow!

His scream probably echoed throughout the whole dungeon, and I was surprised again as he then exploded into a million pieces! The entire room was now covered in the blood! But where he stood had most of it, and there was a feint golden light seeping through the pile. I watched as the red slowly faded to black ash and the light was revealed to be the Triforce of Power. I stared in disbelief; I came so far and often, I doubted myself, and yet I stood, looking down at what was the beast that had threatened Hyrule…

I slowly brought the second Triforce up in my hands, and I placed it down in my bag with the other one. Still looking down, I saw something else, a key, and by the only door in the room, I could guess where it led.


	18. The Princess, Zelda

Chapter 18

The Princess, Zelda

The key fit perfectly in the lock, so I stepped in. This chamber was also finely decorated with fancy colors, carpets, and even furniture. But despite all this, the girl chose the floor and sat with her knees up to her face. She was about my own age, and had short reddish hair covering her face. Her pink dress was made from fine materials.

"Are you… All right?" At the sound of my voice, she quickly stood up with a gasp.

"Who are you?" She asked, and then I could see her blue eyes were stained red, like she had been crying… I felt awkward standing before the princess in burns and cuts, but I still bowed down after realizing I should have done that earlier. "I'm Link. Impa sent me to rescue you." She lit up after hearing the name of her nursemaid. "Impa found someone! And that scream, you defeated Gannon?"

I said nothing; instead I brought up the Triforce of Power and Wisdom. She walked slowly to me and took the Triforce of Wisdom. "I broke this in eight pieces… You fought dangerous battles and traveled across the kingdom to repair this so you could fight the prince of darkness. Link, you are the hero of Hyrule!"

Hero of Hyrule? I replied only with a smile, but the sound of the huge door opening in the next room was brought to my attention. "I think it's time to leave." She nodded and waited as I placed the two Triforces back in my bag and ran ahead of her to use the key on the door to freedom. I opened it and we ran up the stairs back on the mountain.

The cold air hit us, and the wind sang continuously. The moon glowed as bright as the stars against the dark, black sky. "We can set up a fire, but I would like to walk a bit first. We need to be careful. I was chased by a large group of lynels earlier, and I hope they don't find us."

"Why were they chasing you?"

Something about the look she gave me made me feel disappointed to tell her, but I spoke truthfully. "Well, I had to kill one coming up here…"

"Oh…" She said sadly. "Sometimes you have to do what you have to do." I nodded and we walked cautiously down the trail. I wished we could warp to the castle, but I guess the whistle only works when I've been where I want to go. And we were probably the closest we could be without walking the rest of the way. I stopped for a minute to check the map. Zelda looked over my shoulder and watched as I searched for her home. The castle was close to Death Mountain, so that was a good thing.

"We should be able to reach the castle sometime by tomorrow. This trail will lead us to a difficult cliff that we'll have to climb down, but I will feel safe enough to set a fire down there. Do you think you can make it?"

"Of course."

I rolled the map back up and we began to follow the road again. "Do you miss being back home?" I asked.

"I think about it all the time, and I wasn't even sure if anyone was coming for me… I don't know how to thank you."

"Well, I wasn't the only 'hero' in this quest. I had a lot of help and without it I would probably still be lost after going through the first dungeon! And don't forget, what you did was really brave too. You knew Gannon would come back for the other Triforce, so you broke it to protect your kingdom." She looked at me curiously and didn't reply.

The trail ended and we both looked down at the cliff. It was almost vertical, and the thought of Zelda trying to climb down that scared me, but that was the only way down. "Don't worry, it's not as far down as it looks…" I said mostly to calm my own thoughts. I lowered myself down and grabbed on the rocks. Zelda followed next to me, and we slowly climbed down the rocky surface.

Going down was a lot harder than coming up, but only after a few minutes, we already were near the ground. Zelda was surprisingly, climbing fine on her own, and the slight shuffle of rocks seemed to echo along with the owl calls in the crisp night.

I looked for my last foothold and finally touched down on the land. I waited for a moment as Zelda landed beside me. Her beautiful dress was now a darker shade and the dust was smeared on her face as well, but if she knew, she didn't care. "I'll help you gather wood for the fire." She said.

"All right, but stay nearby." I replied, and we walked to the copse in search of firewood. Strange creatures that resembled bulky flowers called peahats flew above the trees using what looked like petals as a propeller. I walked in the cold and every now and then stooping for sticks and branches. And when I held as much as I could carry, I found a clear spot to set them down.

A scream scared the birds from the trees. My heart stopped; Zelda! I ran towards where I heard her and easily found the source of the problem. She sat on the ground and covered her face from a group of tektites jumping around her. The wood she had collected was dropped on the ground in an uneven pattern.

I unsheathed my sword. "Hold still!" I yelled to her. I ran up and stabbed at the first one, but that didn't stop the others from approaching. The four-legged part spider part crab creatures jumped towards me. I used arrows until the tektites were close enough to fight with a sword, and then I twirled in a spin attack to hit several at once. Their light squeaks sounded all around me, and I saw some were dead, others injured, but I knew they had all they could take from my blade.

I sheathed my sword and lent my hand to help Zelda up. "Thank you again… That was really unsettling!" She took a moment to brush over her hopelessly stain dress before gathering the wood back up.

"Did they hurt you?" I asked.

"Just a few scratches, but I'm fine." I did notice some cuts on her face and hands, but they were small and not serious.

I led her to where I left the wood and she dropped the rest of hers nearby. I used the candle to start the fire, and before long, a few cackles were followed by the warm flame. Zelda sat on the ground close to the campfire. I dug around in my bag for some food and sat almost opposite to her. There wasn't a lot of food left, but hopefully, enough to reach the castle.

Zelda held her knees up and began to shiver, and if she was any closer to the fire, I would worry she would help fuel it! "Are you hungry?" I asked holding some bread out to her, but she shook her head. I was certain otherwise though, and still held it to her. "Are you sure?" I asked again. She looked at the bread for a moment before taking it from me. "It may not be the kind of food you're used to, but it's really good." I brought out some food for myself as well.

"Well, I'm sure it's better than the food Gannon gave me."

I didn't think about that! The moblins cooking must be nothing but some kind of muck! My thought of disgust must have shown on my face, because Zelda laughed heartily as she ate the bread. "So where are you from, Link?"

"I live in a small town called Rauru. It may not be a castle, but it's my home."

"That sounds nice, and I'm sure you would like be back there too." I would like to be home, but this quest took me across the kingdom, through dungeons, and into impossible fights… I couldn't help but feel different even though the battles were done. "This quest took a lot from all of us, but I feel that I have learned so much during the journey."

"Me too." She replied. After we finished our meals, I huddled close to the fire and sleep soon came over me.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a smoky river climbing above the wood from the campfire. Princess Zelda was still asleep behind it, and she looked peaceful despite the cold ground beneath her. I stood up and glanced to the sky; a few clouds started to cover the clear blue, and it was probably only a few hours from noon.

I walked over to the other side of the wood and tried to wake Zelda. "I think we should continue to the castle." I said. She looked at me with sleep in her eyes, but she still stood up and yawned.

The difficult mountain terrain didn't slow us down and we were finally off of it and were closer to Hyrule castle town. The way there was uneventful, except for a few short fights with passing monsters, but they were not a problem.

Zelda shared stories of her growing up in the castle walls. She dearly loved her nursemaid, Impa, and to Zelda, she was more like a mother. She spoke of her father, the king, and how he was always so busy giving out orders to the land that he hardly ever had time to spend with her. She even had a brother, and she said Impa had a hard time looking after them both when they were little. We both laughed as she told about one time when she and her brother played outside in the rain and how mad Impa became over the muddy royal clothing! I told Zelda about my stories as well; from when I met her nursemaid all the way through the puzzles of the dungeons, the people that have helped me, and finally, about Death Mountain.

We reached castle town several hours after noon, and the place took my breath away! Hundreds of people walked over the stone road, shopping, chattering, singing, and playing. But that wasn't the most of it; the towers of the castle looked so tall! Taller than I have ever seen it before! I could barely see the top of the flags waving in the wind. A large fountain gently bubbled up fresh clear water in the center of the town. People stopped to stare at us as they saw their princess walking through the crowd. They began to whisper to each other curiously, and some of them even bowed down.

The guards at the castle gate nearly fell with shock. "Princess!" They exclaimed breathlessly. A guard turned to the one standing opposite him. "What are you doing? Fetch Impa immediately!" Impa did make it back safely! Those words took a lot of worry from me. The guard ran as fast as he could despite his heavy armor.

He came running back to us a minute later, but this time he was followed by Zelda's nursemaid. Impa's eyes grew wide at the sight of us and held her arms out. "My dear princess Zelda! You're home!" She called. Zelda ran up to her, and Impa wrapped her in a tight hug. I could see the joyous tears streaming from the old lady's face when she looked to me as she still held the princess close. "I knew I was right to trust you." She said to me in a cracking voice.

"We should go in and let everyone know! They've been really worried for you, princess." Impa beckoned Zelda into the gate, but she hesitated. "Can you wait for a moment?" She asked, and Impa nodded.

Zelda looked at a loss for words when she approached me. "…Thank you." She simply said.

"Here, you should take these in." I brought the Triforce of Wisdom and Power from my bag and handed them to her. She slowly took them from me. "Link?" She paused. "Will I see you around?"

"Of course." I replied. She smiled, and without another word, she followed Impa past the creaking wooden gate. I stood there and watched as it shut behind them and I could see them no more.

My name is Link, and I vow I will always do everything I can for the kingdom of Hyrule, and its princess Zelda.

The end

** Author's note: I put in a lot of effort, time, and love into this fanfic, and so I hope you enjoyed reading it. I will be working on the sequel, but it might take me some time to publish it. Just stay patient. I love you, and I hope to see you again soon. Keep watch for the next one! **


End file.
